Ponte di Rialto: exploring the oldest bridge across the Canal Grande
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The Venetian Lagoon has over 100 islands, depending on how you define an "island." Each one is different in size, origin — some are natural, others man-made — and whether they're inhabited. The city of Venice sits on around 60 of these islands, all separated by small canals. Getting around the city means crossing bridges, and with over 400 of them, it's easy to see why Venice is known as the "City of Bridges." Every bridge has its own unique character, giving the city even more charm. The Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge are two of the most iconic and distinctive among them, making both must-see sights during your visit.
As you may have read in my post about the Canal Grande, Venice's main waterway has only four bridges. The Ponte di Rialto, or Rialto Bridge, is the oldest and most famous. In fact, until the mid-19th century, it served as the only footbridge over the canal.
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The Rialto Bridge we see today dates back to 1591, but it succeeded several earlier bridges. To discover the first dry crossing of the Grand Canal, we need to travel even further back in time.
In this post, I'll dive deeper into the Rialto Bridge, exploring its history, architecture, folktales, and why it should be on your list.
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Ponte di Rialto |
First dry crossing
In the 12th century, Venice thrived, with the Rialto area as its bustling commercial hub. Both local and international merchants flocked to the Rialto Market to trade goods. The Grand Canal separated San Marco from the Rialto. So, if you wanted to go from one side to the other, you'd have to take a ferryboat.
Over time, demand for faster and easier travel grew. And so, in 1181, engineer Nicolò Barattieri built the first dry crossing. However, it wasn't a traditional bridge. Instead, it was a pontoon bridge called 'Ponte della Moneta' or 'Bridge of the Coin.' While the exact origin of the name is unclear, it likely referred to the toll for crossing or the nearby mint.
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Interestingly enough, Nicolò Barattieri wasn't just responsible for the pontoon bridge; he also played a key role in shaping some of Venice's iconic landmarks. Around the same time, he raised the Campanile di San Marco, the Basilica di San Marco's bell tower, to almost 70 meters. He also constructed the two columns of San Todaro and the Venetian Lion in the Piazzetta di San Marco.
If you'd like to get a glimpse of what the 'Ponte della Moneta' might have looked like, I recommend visiting Venice on November 21st or during the third weekend of July. During the festivities held on these days, you'll see a temporary pontoon bridge spanning the Grand Canal (November 21st) and the Giudecca Canal (to visit the Il Redentore church during the third weekend of July).
Wooden bridges
The increasing importance of the Rialto Market led to more traffic on Barattieri's pontoon bridge. Soon, the city realized it needed a sturdier bridge. This insight led to the construction of the first real bridge in 1252, as Antoine Rondelet explains in his 1837 essay "Historique sur le Pont de Rialto."
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The new wooden bridge often required repairs and collapsed several times. Rondelet recalls one of these incidents in his essay. During Emperor Frederick III's entry into Venice, the crowd pressed against the bridge to catch a glimpse of the procession. The iron railings couldn't withstand the pressure and suddenly broke, causing many people to fall into the canal and tragically lose their lives. Rondelet also argues that this tragedy led to the bridge's widening in 1458 and the addition of two rows of shops. As a result of this transformation, the bridge became more closely linked to the Rialto Market. From then on, Venetians began to refer to it as the Ponte di Rialto.
In 1524, the bridge partly collapsed and required rebuilding. Rondelet claims that the reconstructed bridge differed from earlier versions, allowing the central section to open up and let tall ships pass. However, I doubt this claim is correct. In the 1496 painting "Miracle of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto" (which I'll describe further on), some sort of drawbridge already appears in the middle of the bridge. This suggests the system was already in place before 1524.
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Masterpiece in stone
Maintaining the bridge and rebuilding it over and over was getting expensive. That's why, in 1503, the idea of erecting a stone bridge arose. However, as you'll see, this idea took nearly 90 years to become a reality.
In 1525, following another collapse of the wooden bridge, the Venetian Senate finally decided to build a new stone Rialto Bridge. They appointed experts to study the matter and requested several models and designs. Some claim that Michelangelo contributed one of the designs. However, differing opinions on the bridge's shape and structure caused the authorities to lay the idea of a stone bridge to rest.
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It took until 1551 for the Senate to request proposals for a new stone bridge again. Famous architects such as Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio, and Vignola submitted their plans, but none of their designs won.
In the period that followed, the project continued to face setbacks. These include the war against the Ottomans and outbreaks of the Black Death. On top of that, the fire that destroyed the Doge's Palace added another layer of delay, making it feel like the project would never move forward.
In 1587, the decision to build a stone bridge gained new momentum. Just a year later, authorities chose Venetian architect Antonio da Ponte to bring the project to life. By 1591, Venice finally had its new stone bridge crossing the Canal Grande.
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Da Ponte's design for the Rialto Bridge closely resembles the wooden bridge it replaced. The single span has two inclined ramps leading up to the central portico. Each ramp has three pedestrian lanes, with shops along the middle one. The side lanes let people cross faster and offer a great view of the Grand Canal.
A strong foundation was necessary to support the massive load of the single-span stone bridge. Like the rest of Venice — which sits on millions of wooden pilings sunk into the lagoon's muddy soil — wood was the solution. And so, workers drove over 6,000 wooden piles deep into the ground at each end of the bridge. Next time you cross the Rialto Bridge, take a moment to imagine 12,000 stilts holding it all up!
Also, have a look at the bridge's overall design. The Rialto Bridge feels elegant and harmonious, with its clean lines and perfect symmetry. While standing there, the stone reliefs on the base will probably grab your attention. On one side, you'll find the Annunciation; on the other, the two patron saints of Venice, San Marco and San Todaro, proudly displayed.
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Story of the Mocking Couple
As I mentioned, it took nearly 90 years for the idea of building a stone bridge to finally take shape. The earlier setbacks had drained so much money that many Venetians, understandably, gave up hope of ever seeing it happen. And so, by the time Antonio da Ponte started construction, the project was the subject of countless jokes and ridicule. What I love, though, is that sculptors immortalized one of these jokes in stone.
The story goes that one day, an elderly couple sat in a tavern, mocking the impossible project. The person sitting next to them overheard the man saying:
"Voglio che, se ciò si farà, mi nasca un’unghia fra le coscie!"
— I want that, if this is done, a nail will be born between my thighs!
To which the woman replied:
"Voglio che le fiamme m’abbrucino la natura!"
— I want the flames to burn my nature (crotch)!
They didn't realize that the person next to them wasn't just anyone but a camerlengo, an official in charge of managing the state's finances.
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After the completion of the stone Rialto Bridge, the camerlengo still remembered the mockery and had sculptors carve the man and woman on the facade of the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi (next to the bridge). The carvings remain there today, forever confronting the mocking couple with the realization of the bridge.
So, next time you walk past the palazzo (Google Maps), take a moment to look up. You'll spot two interesting bas-reliefs. The one on the left features a man sitting with his legs apart. Looking closely, you'll notice a rather suggestive third leg growing nails between them. The relief on the right depicts a woman in visible pain. A fire burns her lower abdomen, just as she had mockingly wished for.
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Healing of the Madman
The new Rialto Bridge inspired many artists and appears in numerous paintings. One of the most famous is Carpaccio's 1496 work, "Miracle of the Cross at the Ponte di Rialto," also known as The Healing of the Madman.
Carpaccio painted this piece for the Grand Hall of the Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, the home of the brotherhood in Venice. The painting is one of nine large canvases created by notable artists of the time, all commissioned by the brotherhood. All nine depict the miracles of a fragment of the True Cross, which the chancellor of the Kingdom of Cyprus and Jerusalem donated to the brotherhood in 1369.
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In Carpaccio's painting, you can see the healing of a madman through the relic of the Holy Cross. The miracle happens in a large loggia in the upper left corner, while most of the canvas focuses on a lively scene of people. Among them, a group of walkers leads a religious procession following the relic. In the background on the right, you'll notice the wooden Rialto Bridge (the way it was before the 1524 collapse). It already had a double row of shops on either side and a liftable section in the middle to let ships pass through.
The longer you study the painting, the more interesting details you'll spot. Want to see it up close? Head to the Gallerie dell'Accademia, which I highly recommend doing. The museum holds a large collection of Venetian art from the 14th to the early 19th centuries.
