The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto), one of the most famous bridges in Venice, is the starting and ending point of excursions to the city's main attractions. Venice is located on 117 islands, between which many channels flow. More than 400 bridges are laid over these waterways, and among them the oldest, most beautiful and rich in historical events is the Rialto. Venetian gondoliers always stop here. It is more convenient to start visiting the Grand Canal from Rialto. Many tourists try to rent apartments in nearby hotels or houses, because only here you can feel the true atmosphere of this unique ancient city built on water.
Historians have not been able to determine when the first bridge across the Grand Canal appeared in Venice. In the past, the population invented different ways to cross from one bank to another. For example, boats were tied to each other with a rope and crossed over. But this path was fraught with danger. So they decided to build a real bridge. In 1181, under the leadership of Niccolò Barateri, the first bridge was built here - a wooden pontoon structure, called Ponte della Monetta ("Bridge of Coins"): either because there was a mint nearby, or because the crossing had a toll. But it was difficult for ships to pass under this structure. In the middle of the 13th century, a drawbridge was built, called "Rialto" - after the name of the nearby market, which developed rapidly.
To suppress the uprising against the Doge, led by Baimonte Tiepolo, in 1310 most of the bridge was burned. It was restored. At the beginning of the 15th century, trading shops were located along it, rent went to the treasury of Venice, and part of the income covered the cost of maintaining the bridge. In 1444, the structure collapsed, unable to withstand the weight of the overcrowded crowd watching the boat parade and regatta.
At this point, water separates two large districts of the city: San Polo and San Marco. Their representatives were hostile to each other and often staged fist fights on the Rialto Bridge, as a result of which it finally collapsed. Instead, a new wooden bridge was built. A lifting mechanism was added to the structure to allow ships to pass through unhindered. Due to constant contact with water, the wood rotted and decomposed. In 1524, when the bridge collapsed again, the Venetian government decided to build a stone bridge.
Michelangelo, along with other famous architects, also participated in the design competition, but the little-known elderly Antonio de Ponte, who distinguished himself during the restoration of the Doge's Palace, unexpectedly won.
Construction lasted three years. The design had nothing in common with classic arch bridges. De Ponte was assisted by his nephew Antonio Conti, who later drew up the project for the “Bridge of Sighs.” De Ponte took as a basis the law of distribution of forces established by Galileo Galilei. In 1591, the first ships passed under the bridge. The design has stood the test of time and was the only bridge built across the Grand Canal until 1854.
The Rialto Bridge is 48 meters long, 22 meters wide, and the highest point is 7.5 meters. The bridge's support consists of 12,000 beams built into the uneven bottom of the Grand Canal.
Shopping arcades are located along the entire length of the bridge. At the highest point there is an observation area - an excellent place for organizing a photo shoot.
The second popular place is the lower part of the bridge, where you can see the bas-reliefs. There are images of St. Mark and St. Theodore, as well as a plot of the Annunciation. Once upon a time, the surface of the marble was decorated with paintings by the best masters of Venice, but time destroyed them without a trace.
During the construction of the bridge, its architect was often criticized. One noble woman often repeated: sooner will a flame blaze between my legs before this precarious structure is built. And another Venetian joked: a claw will grow in that place. Antonio de Ponte appreciated the jokes and immortalized both critics - on the facade of one of the nearby houses you can see bas-reliefs: a woman with fire between her legs and a man with a claw growing in the genital area:
They say that if you take a gondola ride under the Rialto Bridge with your other half, you should kiss each other and the love will never end. If your other half is not around, you can simply come up with a cherished wish.
Rialto Bridge address: Sestiere San Polo. To get there, take the Vaparetto №1 - stop Rialto.
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