The Bridge of Sighs in Venice
Who hasn't heard of the Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)? It is one of Venice's most famous bridges and a popular photo spot for almost everyone who visits the city.
Located very close to St. Mark's Square, the Bridge of Sighs connects the Magistrate's rooms in the Doge's Palace to the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove), which was in operation until 1919. The bridge passes over a narrow canal called Rio di Palazzo.
The bridge was built at the beginning of the 17th century in an ornate Baroque style by Antonio Contin, the nephew of Antonio da Ponte - the architect who built the Rialto Bridge. The coat of arms of Doge Marino Grimani, who commissioned the construction, is carved on the facade of the bridge between the two windows, and above it lies a representation of Justice.
The architecture was designed by Contin specifically to prevent prisoners from escaping. The bridge is covered and features two narrow, separate corridors.
Its original name was Ponte della Presòn ("The Prison Bridge"). The name "Bridge of Sighs" only began to appear later, during the Romantic era; it refers to the sighs of the convicts who, while crossing the bridge from the palace court toward the prison, saw the sky (and thus their lost freedom) for the last time through the small window openings.
It is said that the person who gave the bridge its name was the English poet Lord Byron, who spent several years in Venice and, in his poem I Stood in Venice, reffered to it as the "Bridge of Sighs". According to other accounts, the one who renamed the bridge was Giacomo Casanova, who was among the few prisoners who managed to escape from Venice's terrible prisons.
However, the legend remains... just a legend. In reality, the inmates had no way of looking at the sky or the Venetian lagoon, because they were blindfolded while being led to the prison, to ensure they could not see the access routes.
Over time, another legend was added to the site, and the Bridge of Sighs also became known as the "Bridge of Love" (Ponte dell'Amore) or the "Bridge of Lovers" (Ponte degli Innamorati). It is said that if a couple kisses at sunset (or, in another version, at the very moment the bells of St. Mark's Campanile ring) while passing under the Bridge of Sighs in a gondola, they will be granted eternal love.
The Bridge of Sighs can only be crossed as part of a visit to the Doge's Palace. You will walk through the left corridor, with a view toward the Ponte della Canonica, to reach the New Prisons building (Prigioni Nuove). Then, you will return via the other corridor, which overlooks the Ponte della Paglia, St. Mark's Basin, and the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Immediately after you return, you can get a close-up view of the Bridge of Sighs from the window of one of the palace halls.
To see the bridge from the outside, you will have to go either to the Ponte della Paglia (towards Riva degli Schiavoni) or to the Ponte della Canonica.
The Ponte della Paglia, in particular, is packed with tourists crowding to take a photo of this Venetian landmark. If you go there, also look for the bas-relief the "Drunkenness of Noah", carved on the left corner of the Doge's Palace.
A more comfortable (but also more expensive) way to see and photograph the Bridge of Sighs is to book a gondola ride on Rio di Palazzo (also called Rio della Canonica).
