Venice - Rialto Bridge

(Local Name: Ponte di Rialto) For a long time the Ponte di Rialto was the only footbridge over the Canal Grande; the Ponte dell'Accademia was not built until 1854 and the Ponte Scalzi near the station is 20th century. It gets its name from "Rivus Altus" (high bank) which was the name given to the earliest settlement on the island.

The first wooden bridge was built on this spot as early as 1180, later to be replaced by a drawbridge which collapsed in 1444 under the weight of a crowd of people who had gathered to watch a boat procession. Almost 150 years later, in 1588, the Venetians embarked upon the venture of building a stone bridge. Designed by Antonio de Ponte, the bridge is supported by 6,000 piles on each side and its single arch is 22m/72ft in span and 7.5m/24ft high.