Venice is a unique city; it is a collection of small islands in a lagoon that are connected by more than three hundred bridges. The oldest such bridge is the Rialto Bridge, one of only four bridges that crosses the Grand Canal, Venice’s main “road.”
The bridge was first built in 1173 as a floating bridge which used shallow boats to support a pedestrian walkway. Then, in the middle of the 13th century, given the amount of use it was getting, the floating bridge was replaced by a more stable, wood structure. At this time, the Rialto bridge was still the only way that Venetians were able to cross the Grand Canal. The wooden structure collapsed multiple times due to fire and other problems.
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In 1588, the city commissioned Antonio da Ponte to construct a stone bridge spanning 160 feet, which took three years to complete. At the time, Venetians were skeptical that the stone bridge would succeed from an engineering point of view. However, this is the structure that is still in use today! It consists of two slanted, stone ramps that meet at the apex with a central portico. There is a stone balustrade on each side of the ramps that extends beyond the edge of the masonry; this balustrade is supported by stone cantilevers under the bridge deck. Under water, thousands of wooden piles support the bridge.
The Rialto Bridge continues to be utilized by thousands of people every day since it connects two very important parts of Venice, the districts of San Marco and San Polo. The Rialto market in San Polo is located just steps from the Rialto Bridge, a centuries old food market with local produce, fish and other food items. In addition, the Rialto Bridge is now a very popular tourist attraction. It has become an icon of Venice.
