Bridge of Sighs

Venice, Italy

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, and It was designed by Antonio Contino and was built in 1600.

The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge's name, given by Lord Byron as a translation from the Italian 'Ponte dei sospiri' in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells. In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built, and the cells under the palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals. In addition, little could be seen from inside the bridge due to the stone grills covering the windows.

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Castello 4242, Venice, Italy
See all sites in Venice

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Founded: 1600
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More Information

www.bridgeofsighs.info
en.wikipedia.org
www.aviewoncities.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Piazza San Marco (0,2 km)
St Mark's Basilica (0,1 km)
St Mark's Clocktower (0,2 km)
Doge's Palace (0,1 km)
Museo Correr (0,3 km)
Rialto Bridge (0,6 km)
San Gregorio Church (0,7 km)
Gallerie dell'Accademia (1 km)
Santa Maria della Salute (0,6 km)


Palazzo della Ragione (36,5 km)
Prato della Valle (36,5 km)
University of Padua (36,3 km)
Palazzo dei Trecento (26,8 km)
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (36,1 km)
Padua Synagogue (36,4 km)
Padua Botanical Garden (36,1 km)
Torcello Cathedral (9,4 km)
Scrovegni Chapel (36,1 km)

User Reviews

MCMLXXXIV (20 days ago)
Ride a gondola if you can. Ask a few different people and agree on a reasonable price. You're already here make it memorable.
Qiankun Xie (5 months ago)
Good
Wayne Maxwell (6 months ago)
You could sense the anguish well worth a visit
kocola (6 months ago)
At the heart of Venice, and one of the most photographed areas in the city.
Ishan (6 months ago)
Bridge of Sighs is one of the most beautiful place in Venice to watch. One of the most popular place for taking selfies. Specially this place is famous among tourist and they click their memorable photos. The bridge connects two buildings,the prison and the interrogation building used many years ago. This bridge has become a symbol of love for many years now.Visited this place few years back and would love to visit again in near future.
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