Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) is an enclosed white limestone bridge in the San Marco district of Venice, Italy, built in the early 17th century to connect the Doge's Palace with the New Prison across the Rio di Palazzo. Its Baroque design has two barred stone windows, and inside it is divided into two narrow passages. The name comes from a later romantic tradition that convicts sighed at their last glimpse of the lagoon on the way to their cells, though the prison held mostly minor offenders by the time the bridge was built. Visitors see the bridge in two ways. From the outside, it is best seen from the Ponte della Paglia, a short bridge on the waterfront just beside the Doge's Palace, where the bridge is framed over the canal. This spot is free and is always crowded, so patience is needed for a clear photograph. From the inside, the bridge is crossed on the standard Doge's Palace route, and there is no separate ticket. The interior crossing takes only a minute or two, but the small windows give a narrow view over the lagoon and the canal below. A photograph of the exterior takes about fifteen minutes including waiting. The area around the Ponte della Paglia is busiest from mid-morning to late afternoon, and the early morning or evening gives fewer people and softer light. From a gondola on the Rio di Palazzo, the bridge can also be seen from below, and this is a common stop on short gondola routes. The closest vaporetto stop is San Zaccaria on Lines 1 and 2, a few minutes on foot from the bridge.