The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) is a famous bridge in Venice, located in the San Marco district (sestiere), only a few meters away from Piazza San Marco. The bridge connects the Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale) to the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove), crossing over the canal of Rio del Palazzo. Admiring Ponte dei Sospiri from Ponte della Paglia, we can still imagine Casanova crossing the bridge, looking at the San Giorgio Maggiore island in the distance, sighing for freedom. The Venetian adventurer, who was arrested in 1755, escaped a few months later from prison, but for many others, passing over the Bridge of Sighs probably offered the last glance to the outside world. SHORT HISTORY OF THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS Ponte dei Sospiri was built at the beginning of the 17th century by the architect Antonio Contino, son of Bernardino Contino and grandson of Antonio Da Ponte, the architect of the Rialto Bridge. More precisely, the bridge was built between 1600 and 1603 at the behest of Doge Marino Grimani, whose coat of arms is carved on the bridge, to link the New Prison and the Doge’s Palace, where the prisoners were taken to be judged. The bridge Read more [...]
Tag: Lord Byron in Venice
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Caffè Florian
Caffè Florian is more than just a café, and can rightfully be considered a tourist attraction in itself. Located under the Procuratie Nuove arcades, in the St. Mark’s Square, the world’s oldest café still in operation has been a silent witness, for almost three centuries, of the joys and excitement of Venice. Famous names have passed the threshold of this café over time, and if we were to mention just a few, we could start very well with Casanova, the famous conqueror of hearts, continuing with the playwrighter Carlo Goldoni, Lord Byron or the poet Goethe, with the writer and politician Chateaubriand, Charles Dickens, or Marcel Proust, to end triumphantly with Modigliani. SHORT HISTORY The café opened its doors for the first time on December 29, 1720, under the name of Alla Venezia Trionfante, and soon after that received the name of its first owner, Floriano Francesconi. By the middle of the 19th century, Caffè Florian remained in the possession of the Francesconi family, and then changed its owners several times. In 1858, the café was completely restored by Lodovico Cadorin, with the help of the best Venetian artists and artisans. Since 1985, the cafe hosts the Venice Biennale, Read more [...]
