Description of the attraction
The Rialto Bridge is the first and oldest bridge built at the narrowest point of the Grand Canal in Venice. The first pontoon bridge was built in 1181 and was named Ponte della Moneta, probably because of the nearby mint. In 1255, a wooden bridge was erected in its place, which had two inclined ramps and could be raised during the passage of ships. In the same years, the new bridge received a new name - Rialto - after the name of the local market. In the first half of the 15th century, two rows of shops were built on the bridge, the owners of which paid tax to the state treasury, which, in turn, allocated money for the maintenance of the Rialto. And the maintenance of the wooden bridge required a lot of money. In 1444, Ponte di Rialto collapsed under the weight of the crowd that had gathered on the bridge to watch the parade.
For the first time, the idea of building a stone bridge arose in 1503, but only half a century later, on the initiative of the then Doge Pasquale Cicogna, it began to be realized. It was planned that under the arcades of the new building trade shops would be located. It is interesting that such famous architects as Michelangelo, Palladio, Vignola and Sansovino presented their designs for the bridge, but Antonio de Ponte won the competition (a funny fact - the name of the architect is translated from Italian as “bridge”). The construction of the stone Ponte di Rialto lasted from 1588 to 1591 - in that form it has survived to this day. By the way, until 1854, this bridge was the only one thrown across the Grand Canal, and today there are already four such bridges.
Today, the Rialto is one of the most famous landmarks in Venice. The bridge consists of one arch 28 meters long and 7.5 meters high. It is supported by 12 thousand piles driven into the bottom of the Venetian lagoon. Inside there are 24 souvenir shops, which are separated from each other by two central arches.
