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Welcome to Venice, or Venezia, as the Italians call it. Venice, Italy, is a city built entirely on the water. The mounds of land are separated by a series of canals. There are no roads or cars in Venice. The only ways to get around the city are by water and by foot. Almost 400 bridges, pontes, are scattered throughout the city. Today's tour will cover the three most well known bridges in Venice: the Ponte di Rialto, the Ponte dell'Accademia, and the Ponte dei Sospiri.
The Grand Canal is the Fifth Avenue of Venice. It winds like an S through the city. The first bridge to cross the Grand Canal was the Ponte di Rialto. More than 91 feet in length, the Ponte di Rialto has two rows of shops with windows that open onto the often crowded central passage. The current bridge features white marble arches and angles and dates to 1588. The bridge's 12,000 wooden pilings still support the bridge more than 400 years after it was built.
The next bridge to cross the Grand Canal was the Ponte dell'Accademia. Built in 1854, during the Austrian occupation, the Ponte dell'Accademia was made of iron and was built wide enough to allow the Austrian troops to move more quickly over the Grand Canal. However, in 1932, the Venetians replaced the iron bridge with a temporary wood bridge. Though the bridge was intended to be stone, the temporary wood bridge has now become a landmark.
The Bridge of Sighs, or Ponte dei Sospiri, connects the Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace) with the state prison. The name Bridge of Sighs was coined in the 19th century when the poet Lord Byron wrote that condemned prisoners sighed as they were led across it to the executioner. In fact, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built.
While the thought of walking on water sounds pretty cool, generations from now people might be swimming through the city. That's because Venice is sinking at an alarming rate of about 2 1/2 inches per decade. But for now, be glad you wore your comfy shoes, and enjoy the rest of the tour!
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