The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) is perhaps the most famous bridge in Venice after the Rialto, but its fame rests on a misunderstanding. Most visitors come here to capture a "romantic" kiss beneath it, unaware that the bridge was built not for love at all, but so that convicts could take one last look at Venice before the prison walls swallowed them forever.
What the Bridge of Sighs Is
The Bridge of Sighs spans the narrow Rio di Palazzo canal and connects two parts of one complex: the Doge`s Palace, where the courtrooms were located, and the New Prisons (Prigioni Nuove) on the opposite bank. It is a fully enclosed structure of white Istrian stone, built in the Baroque style and only about 11 metres long. The bridge was built in 1602–1603 by the architect Antonio Contin, nephew of the creator of the Rialto Bridge.
Where the Name Bridge of Sighs Comes From (and Why It Is Not About Love)
The bridge was not named by lovers. The "sighs" here are the farewell sighs of convicts being led from the courtroom in the Doge`s Palace to their prison cells. Passing along the enclosed corridor, they could look through the small barred windows and see for the last time the light, the lagoon and the Venice they were leaving forever.
The irony is that the bridge`s romantic fame was brought about by Lord Byron, who in his poem Childe Harold`s Pilgrimage described it as the place where "a palace and a prison on each hand". It was after Byron that the bridge began to acquire legends of eternal love, even though the poet himself wrote of quite different sighs.
What to Look For from Outside (and What Is Easy to Miss)
The most convenient and free way to see the bridge is from the neighbouring Ponte della Paglia (Straw Bridge). This is one of the oldest stone bridges in Venice (the original structure dates to 1360, though it acquired its present appearance after 19th-century reconstruction). It spans the Rio di Palazzo canal and connects the Schiavoni waterfront with St Mark`s Square.
From the Straw Bridge there is the classic view of the arch of the Bridge of Sighs with its two barred windows. There are always huge numbers of people photographing it here. The concentration of people is far greater than on St Mark`s Square.
Details of the Bridge of Sighs:
• The Grimani coat of arms: in the centre of the bridge`s façade is carved the coat of arms of Doge Marino Grimani, under whom the bridge was built.
• Two separate corridors: inside, the bridge is divided by a stone wall into two narrow passages. This was done deliberately so that convicts going to or from interrogation would never cross paths.
• Lion heads: the arch of the bridge is decorated with sculpted lions` heads.
How to Get Inside the Bridge of Sighs (and Whether It Is Worth It)
You can walk across the Bridge of Sighs only as part of a tour of the Doge`s Palace and the prisons (the "Secret Itineraries" route or the standard tour including the prisons). You cannot enter the bridge on your own. Inside you will see those narrow corridors and the windows with stone grilles through which convicts looked at freedom.
If you are not planning a tour, an external view from the Ponte della Paglia is quite enough to grasp the scale and the atmosphere.
The Legend of the Kiss Beneath the Bridge of Sighs (and Why It Works)
Despite the grim history, there is a persistent tradition: if a couple kisses in a gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs at sunset, while the bells of St Mark`s are ringing, their love will last forever. This is, of course, pure romantic invention, but it has taken hold so firmly that gondoliers line up by the bridge towards evening.
Practical tip: if you want to kiss beneath the bridge without a crowd of tourists in boats around you, come early in the morning or late in the evening, when the main flow of gondolas subsides.
Practical Information
• Where it is: a few steps from St Mark`s Square, between the Doge`s Palace and the Schiavoni waterfront. The nearest vaporetto stop is San Zaccaria.
• Best time for photos: early morning (before 9:00) or after 17:00, when the light is softer and there are fewer people at the Ponte della Paglia. During the day there is almost always a crowd.
Do not limit yourself to one angle. From the Ponte della Paglia you see the Bridge of Sighs itself, while from the opposite bank (on the Schiavoni waterfront side) you get a view of the Doge`s Palace with the bridge in the foreground.
