Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri)

Amorous Venice is full of historically romantic sights with beautiful stories attached. Uneducated romantic poet that I am I thought this bridges sighs may have referred to lovers, but it turns out to have a less lovely, but no less historic tale. A covered bridge made of white limestone with two small barred windows and a curved roof, the Ponte dei Sospiri links the old prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace and the sighs were supposed to be from the prisoners of the inquisition getting their last look of Venice and freedom as they crossed over into prison. Fellow romantic poet, Lord Byron, imagined this scenario up in the 19th century, but he’s a poet not a writer of non-fiction and the timing is all wrong for the inquisition. Locals have added their own touch of the romantic to the spot by saying that a kiss under the bridge at sunset means a love that lasts forever… Designed by a relative of the designer of the much more loved up sighing Rialto and built between 1600 and 1603.

3 / 5 Review by member romantic poet

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