The oldest bridge in Venice has become one of its most popular modern-day tourist attractions.
The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto) spanning the Grand Canal is one of Venice’s most recognisable features, and has been wowing visitors since the 16th century, when it replaced an earlier structure. It was designed by Antonio Da Ponte (Antonio of the Bridge), who was awarded the contract in the face of stiff competition, not least from Italy’s most celebrated architect Michelangelo. On its completion it immediately won praise for its beautiful yet functional design, confounding the views of some rivals that its audacious engineering techniques were ahead of its time. The central arch of its revolutionary single span is high enough to allow ships to pass beneath, while its beautifully proportioned balustrades lend it an elegance that belies its sturdy construction.Among the 400-plus bridges in Venice and the four that cross the Grand Canal itself, the Rialto is easily the most famous and the most visited. Three walkways lead to its highest point some 7.5 metres above the canal. Two follow the outer balustrades and offer spectacular panoramas of the canal as it snakes past the many famous buildings that line its banks. The third walkway runs through the centre, past rows of tiny shops crammed with local Murano glass, jewellery, crafts and souvenirs. By day the bridge is packed with stalls and street entertainers, while in the evening, when the shops are closed and the crowds have departed, the floodlights reflecting on the water lend an air of romantic enchantment.The Rialto Bridge connects the market district of San Polo with the tourist hotspot of San Marco and can be reached on foot from St Mark’s Square or by vaporetto (water bus) or gondola, alighting at the Rialto stop.
