Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)

Major sights in Venice

The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri in italian) was created on 1614 to link the Doge's Palace to the new prisons building. Closed and covered, is formed by two corridors separated by a wall. The corridors are linked to the stair that go from the Pozzi to the Piombi.

 

The very famous name of Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) was given by Lord Byron in the 19th century, and makes reference to the sigh of the prisoner, leaving the tribunal of the Palace, crossed the bridge to reach the cell to serve the sentence, catching, through the small windows, a glimpse of the freedom.

 

Nowadays this bridge is one of the major tourist attractions in Venice, especially for people touring by gondola. Why? For the modern local legend: lovers will be assured eternal love if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the bridge.

 

 

 

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