This chapter analyzes, from a historical perspective, the evolution of engineering culture in relation to social transformations beginning in ancient Roman times. The bridge, as a central artifact in the development of construction technology, is examined not only as a physical structure but also as an expression of the human capacity to reshape the environment. The prophetic vision of Solomon’s House in New Atlantis by Francis Bacon is discussed as a model in which science acquires an explicit political dimension. This vision anticipates later reflections on the relationship between humans and machines, including philosophical approaches that prefigure the era of robotics. Machines are thus understood as active agents in the transformation of society, contributing to both its development and its conflicts. Particular attention is devoted to the Italian context after the Second World War. During the economic boom, often described as a “machine civilization,” industrial expansion fostered significant cultural change and helped address the divide identified by C. P. Snow as that of the “two cultures.” In this context, a letter from Giuseppe Ungaretti to the director of the journal “Civiltà delle machine”, reflects the unstoppable progress of the machine in modern society.