The Bridge of Sighs under maintenance - Venezia, Italy
The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: Ponte dei Sospiri) is a bridge located in Venice, northern Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, and passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. It was designed by Antonio Contino (whose uncle Antonio da Ponte had designed the Rialto Bridge) and was built in 1600.
Piombi (The Leads in English) is a former prison in the Doge's Palace in Venice. The name of the prison refers to its position directly under the roof of the palace, which was covered with slabs of lead. In winter, these slabs let the cold pass and they acted as a conductor in the summer heat, imposing harsh conditions for inmates.
In 1756, Giacomo Casanova made a famous escape from the prison. He published the story of his escape in 1787.
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.
According to a local legend, lovers will be granted eternal love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset, under the Bridge of Sighs, as the bells of St Mark's Campanile toll.
This legend served as a plot line for the movie A Little Romance, featuring Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane.
Rondò Veneziano, Casanova : youtu.be/1RtIQohcehw
The Bridge of Sighs under maintenance - Venezia, Italy
The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: Ponte dei Sospiri) is a bridge located in Venice, northern Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, and passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. It was designed by Antonio Contino (whose uncle Antonio da Ponte had designed the Rialto Bridge) and was built in 1600.
Piombi (The Leads in English) is a former prison in the Doge's Palace in Venice. The name of the prison refers to its position directly under the roof of the palace, which was covered with slabs of lead. In winter, these slabs let the cold pass and they acted as a conductor in the summer heat, imposing harsh conditions for inmates.
In 1756, Giacomo Casanova made a famous escape from the prison. He published the story of his escape in 1787.
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.
According to a local legend, lovers will be granted eternal love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset, under the Bridge of Sighs, as the bells of St Mark's Campanile toll.
This legend served as a plot line for the movie A Little Romance, featuring Laurence Olivier and Diane Lane.
Rondò Veneziano, Casanova : youtu.be/1RtIQohcehw