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 Leaning on 12000 piles by breughel
Consequently, before climbing the steps of the Rialto Bridge I gathered some information on the supposed strength of this bridge.
The previous bridge in wood collapsed in 1444 under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade and it collapsed again in 1524.
The new stone bridge was build between 1588 and 1592 by the architect Antonio Da Ponte (a good name for building bridges).
The overall length is 48 m, width 22 m, the single arch has a width of 28 m and maximum height of 7,50 m in order to allow the Venetian galleys, among which the famous Bucentaure, nowadays the Vaporetto, to pass under the bridge.
The engineering of the single span bridge was considered so audacious that another architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, competing to get the project for himself, predicted that the bridge would collapse.
So let's have a look at the engineering as the Rialto Bridge of A. Da Ponte is still standing and apparently presents no danger for the millions of tourists climbing her steps.
For each side of the arch 6000 "pali" piles of wood with lengths between 1 and 3,50 m were used for the foundations.
The balustrade of the bridge is made of "Pietra d'Istria" a quite resistant calcareous rock of bright white colour.
No doubt the Rialto Bridge is strong, nice and practical as wanted by the Venetian authorities of the 16th c.
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 Rialto Bridge by breughel
1° The central walkway between the shops is used by the Venetians and those tourists who just want to join Canaregio or San Marco to San Polo and San Croce without looking at the Grand Canal. All my sympathies go to the Venetians who each day have to fight their way through the crowd on this bridge. I hate this bridge because each time I had to cross the Ponte di Rialto my wife put me in front of her in order to open the path like a bulldozer or tank.
2° The smaller southern walkway with the view on the Grand Canal towards San Marco.
This is the most crowded part. Views are great if you are able to reach and maintain yourself at the parapet.
I have a tip which I hope will be rated as very useful by VT members. Climb the stairs by the larger central walkway, between the souvenir shops, at the summit of the bridge turn left in the opening portico between the shops and push with your elbows until you reach the parapet. The balustrade in stone is strong and high enough to keep tourists from falling in the Grand Canal.
3° The small northern walkway is less crowded because the Grand Canal bends here so that the view is limited and less nice than on the other side. This side is nevertheless interesting from a navigational point of view because the vaporetto's are not able to pass each other in the bend of the Canal under the bridge. No navigation incident happened during my walk on the bridge.
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The Ponte del Sospiri or Bridge of Sighs is one of those attractions in Venice that visitors flock to see. Although I had seen it numerous times from the outside, it wasn't until my most recent trip to Venice, I got to actually walk across.
As part of our visit to the Palazzo Ducale, we were able to get a close up look at the Bridge of Sighs. The bridge was originally used by prisoners, to cross over high above the canal into the dungeons. It is said that their sighs could be heard as they crossed, hence the name of the bridge.
There are two levels to this enclosed bridge, so prisoners walking in either direction would not see each other.
I must say I was quite excited to be able to walk across the bridge, and I took lots of photos looking through the holes in the bridge wall. Leave a Comment
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The second of the 3 bridges that cross the Grand Canal is the Ponte dell'Accademia (Accademia Bridge).
The bridge that you see today is made from wood, and was built in 1930 to replace a previously built metal structure. The bridge was only supposed to be there temporarily until a design for a more permanent bridge was completed...but that seems to have been forgotten about!!
The bridge joins the area of San Marco, to that of Dorsoduro, and is commonly crossed by tourists on their way to the Gallerie dell'Accademia or to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.
The views up and down the canal from the centre of the bridge are spectacular - so make sure you stop for a photo or ten! Leave a Comment
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Maybe I wouldn’t have looked for this bridge if it wasn’t for Sandy’s description. But I liked it and of course it is nice to see and find a bridge without parapet in Venezia and without signs “warning, don’t fall into the water – bridge does not have parapets”, lol. But on the other hand, luckily Italy in general and Venezia in special (unlike Germany and other countries) do not yet believe that their inhabitants are brain dead so that they must be warned of the obvious at almost every possible occasion.
Well, so I was looking for it and also almost gave it up, when I was walking southward from Sacca dei Misericordia, along the Canale della Misericordia and then crossing it eastward. There it is, leading over Rìo San Felice, which merges into Canale della Misericordia.
I found it quite interesting to read that there is a B&B close by, called Ponte Chiodo. Maybe it is even in located in Palazzo Chiodo, and staying there might mean to use this bridge daily :-) Leave a Comment Address: Canaregio - at Rìo San FeliceDirections: Walk south along Canale della Misericordia, and then cross the first bridge that leads eastward. Head on 50 m and there it is. Coordinates on GoogleEarth: 45°26’33,93’’ N; 12°20’05,06’’ E
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 Ponte delle Guglie by ZvrljLeave a Comment Address: Fond. Labia & Fond. Cannaregio, CannaregioDirections: The bridge is on Canale di Cannaregio, on north-west of Venice.
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Ponte dei Tre Archi – the only Venetian three-arched bridge, created by Andrea Tirali, was built in 1688 and restored in 1794. Tirali's project for this bridge was based on one of Andrea Palladio, rejected for Ponte Rialto. Leave a Comment Address: Fond. San Giobbe & Fond. Cannaregio, CannaregioDirections: The bridge is on Canale di Cannaregio, on north-west of Venice.
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 Strange sculptures by breughel
Between the decisions of the Senate in 1525 to build a stone bridge after the numerous collapses of the wooden Rialto bridges and the effective start of the construction in 1588 many years passed. The city of Venice had financial problems which delayed the construction of the stone bridge. The future stone bridge of the Rialto was therefore the object of numerous jokes and mocking remarks from the Venetians.
A man made a bet with Camerlenghi, a famous banker who financed Venice, that there would be no stone bridge before as he said:
“Voglio che, se ciò si farà, mi nasca un' unghia fra le eoscie !”
to which a woman added :
“Voglio che le fiamme m'abbrucino la natura !” if one day the bridge is build.
In French we would have said that the bridge would be built when: "lorsque les poules auront des dents" when the chicken will have teeth.
The Italian expressions are much more expressive and somewhat crude, I therefore hesitate to translate…
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 Ponte di Rialto - View from
Grand Canal by jlee008
The bridge was built between 1588 and 1591 and was the only bridge to cross the Grand Canal until the Accademia bridge was built in 1854. Up until that point, there were only wooden bridges that spanned the Grand Canal. Today, there are only a total of three bridges including the Ponte di Rialto and the Ponte d'Accademia that span the expanse of the Grand Canal.
There are a total of three bridge walkways, the two on the outside offer a great place for tourists to watch Venetian life below and the center, larger, walkway is home to small shops that entice the visitor.
HOURS: open all the time, check stores for hours. Leave a Comment Address: Ponte di RialtoDirections: VAPORETTO: Ponte di Rialto Follow signs everywhere that direct you to Ponte di Rialto
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 The Bridge of Sighs and Ponte
della Paglia behind by ZvrljLeave a Comment Address: San MarcoDirections: The best view of the Bridge of Sighs is from Ponte della Paglia, and walk over it is part of tourist visit to Doges' Palace.
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