The Bridge of Sighs - A Place of Sadness in the Heart of Venice

VENICE

VENETO

LAKE GARDA

BEACHES

FOOD & WINE

MY ITALY

PROPERTY

FASHION

EVERYTHING ELSE

[?] Subscribe To This Site

The Tragic Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs or Ponte dei Sospiri is the second most famous of Venice’s bridges - a close runner-up to the Rialto Bridge. Of the two bridges this is of more recent construction, its name is tinged with sadness and it is an essential stop for the romantic looking to find eternal love in Venice...

Legend has it that the bridge was given its name because it offered condemned prisoners their last view of beautiful Venice before being executed.

Nice story but apparently not true and the name was thanks to the poetic imaginings of Lord Byron in the 19th century. Beautiful from outside it may be but inside it's a grim and damp place. It makes it very easy to imagine the legend being true.

The bridge dates back to the year 1600 and in my humble opinion is nowhere near as lovely as the Rialto Bridge, but I am no expert and by any standard it is still a fabulous bridge.

Viewing the bridge from the outside is not the easiest thing to do. There is little space to see the bridge well and if you are in Venice during July or August you might have a bit of a struggle. The best view, if you can overcome the crowds, is from the Ponte della Paglia.

Romance in Venice?

Are you of romantic persuasion and intend to keep the one you love for evermore? Then get to this bridge as soon as you can.

Legend has it that all you need to do is kiss in a gondola under the bridge at sunset and you will be assured of eternal love. I don’t know if it works and I can't promise anything but I tried it fifteen years ago and I am still happily married.

To see a photo of me, my darling husband and son visit the Venice-Italy-Veneto home page.

Searching for something? Why not try our Venice Italy Search Engine.

Return from Bridge of Sighs to the Venice Italy Page

Return to the Venice Italy Veneto home page.