Venice > Sightseeing > Bridges of Venice > Smaller bridges

Venice's smaller bridges

Page 6 of 9
From: Bridges of Venice

Most of the 400 or so bridges in Venice are local or neighborhood bridges across smaller canals called rii. You'll see their names carved into stone plaques mounted on neighboring palazzi and other buildings.

BELOW: Brick is the most common building material in Venice, and you'll see it on many of the city's bridges (nearly always with stone railings).

BELOW: Steps on brick or stone bridges are made of a rough paving stone or, in some cases, asphalt. Their edges are outlined in Istrian stone (a water-resistant white marble), which is also used in building foundations or to mark the edges of pavements alongside canals.

BELOW: Some bridges in Venice are made of steel, and others have wrought-iron railings instead of masonry parapets.

BELOW: Wooden bridges are less common than brick or stone bridges, but you'll find them all over the city. If you're prone to falls, be careful on their open treads: The steps often have metal edging that can stick up, credating a tripping hazard.

Model credit: Maggie the Bearded Collie of Maggieinvenice.com.

BELOW: In this photo, you can see a traditional stone bridge in the foreground and (on the other side of the Grand Canal) the entrance to the Ponte della Costituzione or Calatrava Bridge.

BELOW: A handful of bridges in the city have been equipped with wedges that make it easier to haul shopping carts and strollers up and down the steps. This bridge is in Cannaregio, near a large Conad City supermarket.

BELOW: Venice's delivery men (we haven't seen any delivery women) wrestle their carts up and down bridges, often calling out warnings to pedestrians as they battle their way through crowded streets.

 Spazzini or sanitation workers (lower photo) also confront Venice's bridges as they make their rounds.

BELOW: Gondoliers pose with a young visitor on a Venetian bridge.

BELOW: "I'm Just Sitting on a Bridge" might be Venice's answer to a Rolling Stones hit with a similar name. However, it's considered bad form, and many Venetians are justifably annoyed when tourists, students, local youth, and thoughtless Dachshunds block foot traffic by perching their bottoms on ponti.

BELOW: Rules or no rules, dog-loving Venetians probably didn't mind when this man let his best friend take a break on a bridge in hot summer weather.

BELOW: Cameras and bridges are an irresistible combination.

• Tip: If you're taking pictures on a bridge, try not to block pedestrians. It's best to shoot scenery from the bridge than companions on the bridge when you're in an area with heavy foot traffic. (Local customs also discourage using selfie sticks as weapons on crowded bridges.)

BELOW: Bridges can be slippery during Venice's infrequent winter snowstorms, but munipical workers are quick to scatter salt when bridges and pavements get icy.

BELOW: Not all bridges are on public thoroughfares. A handful of buildings are reached by private bridges.

BELOW: An old private bridge in Cannaregio shows what Venice's bridges looked like before parapets and railings were added in the last 200 years or so.

BELOW: A bride and groom pose for wedding photos on a bridge in the Venetian Ghetto.

BELOW: The Bridge of Sighs or Ponte dei Sospiri is one of Venice's most famous attractions. It was built in 1600 to connect the Doge's Palace (Venice's seat of government) with the neighboring prison.

These tourists are contemplating the bridge from the Ponte della Paglia on Venice's waterfront near the Piazza San Marco.

BELOW: Tourists photograph flowers on a stone bridge with a railing of ornamental iron.

BELOW: A man communes with his dog on a bridge near the Giardini Pubblici, the largest park in central Venice.

BELOW: Venice may be old, but it isn't frozen in time. This tubular steel bridge, which was added only a few years ago, connects Venezia Santa Lucia Railroad Station with the Cannaregio campus of Ca' Foscari University.

The bridge is used mostly by students who are commuting to classes from the mainland, but anyone can walk across it. You'll find the bridge at the end of Platform 1 in the railroad station.

BELOW: Another modern bridge is the Calle Giazzo cantilevered steel walkway on the north side of Arsenale, Venice's historic shipyard. It faces the Venetian Lagoon and leads to a quiet, isolated corner of Venice that few tourists ever see.

BELOW: Love locks, the scourge of public-works departments around the world, show up occasionally on Venice's bridges.

Next page: Ponte della Libertà, pontoon bridges

About the author:

Durant Imboden has written about Venice, Italy since 1996. He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching Europe for Visitors (including Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl Imboden in 2001.

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