One is the Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1600. It’s the bridge between the prison and the interrogation rooms. It’s named after the idea that prisoners would sigh at their final view of the beauty of Venice through the window before being taken to their cell. The second is a bridge I call the Bridge of Sightseers, the Ponte dei touristi. Just look how crowded it is. I must be in every one of their photographs.
More from Venice
Pigafetta and the Giant ClamAntonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer. He joined the expedition to find a western route to the Spice… read more
OctaclesWhy are they called tentacles when there are eight of them? Surely they ought to be called octacles? A fascinating… read more
Rettile ittiosauroThere's an Ichthyosaur fossil displayed at the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia. They evolved around 250 million years ago and… read more
TentaclesAs a child I never understood why people said an octopus had tentacles. Surely they're octacles? An octopus's tentacles are… read more
Trilobite con pista'Trilobite con pista', it says. No, it's not an item on the Italian menu in the restaurant at lunch time,… read more
Scala Contarini del BovoloSix floors, eighty steps, 28 metres and €9. That's the spiral staircase named after snails, 'del Bovolo', in Venice. The… read more
The gondoliersGondoliers in Venice appear to earn a top salary of €100,000. For that I'd expect some adherence to uniform standards.… read more
Fossil ferns and horsetailsI'm astonished every time I see detail in fossils. Their age, the heat and the pressure they have been subjected… read more