Basilica dei Frari - Artworks

The waterways are the lifeblood of the city and the most well known canal in Venice is the Grand Canal, known by the locals as the most beautiful street in the world. The Grand Canal is crossed by four bridges: the Rialto bridge, the Ponte degli Scalzi near the railway station, the Accademia bridge near the eponymous art gallery, and a fourth bridge, the Constitution bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava, which is a link between the railway station and Piazzale Roma.

Without a doubt, the most famous bridge in Venice is the Rialto Bridge, which has become an icon of the city. Rialto Bridge is also the main and oldest of the four bridges over the Grand Canal and until the 19th century, it was the only way to cross on foot from one bank to the other.

An alternative way of crossing the Grand Canal is to take a traghetto, a gondola-like boat capable of ferrying a dozen or so passengers from one bank to the other; for a small fee you too can enjoy the experience of being rowed across the Grand Canal and of having an original perspective of it.

In the past, bridges of Venice were built by the owners of buildings adjacent to the canals or were financed by a neighborhood tax. These were wooden bridges, often simple boards resting on the banks of a canal, and which were crossed on horseback. Stone bridges came later and none had railings. These were placed, made of brick or iron, at the beginning of the 19th century during Austrian domination.

The oldest bridge in stone in Venice was the beautiful Ponte della Paglia (Straw Bridge), built in 1170, which crosses the Rio di Palazzo next to the Doge's Palace, connecting the Piazzetta with the Riva degli Schiavoni. This bridge is usually full of tourists because it allows an excellent view of the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs).

The only bridge without a railing found in the historic center of Venice is the Ponte Chiodo, near the Ca' d'Oro, in Cannaregio. There is another bridge without a railing, the Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge) on the island of Torcello.

But... How many bridges are there in Venice? The number of bridges in Venice is 438, of which 90 are private, and which adds up to 455 if the Murano (9) and Burano (8) bridges are included.

The 10 most beautiful bridges in Venice (Italy) are: Ponte di Rialto, Ponte dei Sospiri, Ponte della Paglia, Ponte dell'Accademia, Ponte degli Scalzi, Ponte Chiodo, Ponte dei Pugni, Ponte delle Guglie, Ponte de l'Arsenal or del Paradiso and Ponte della Costituzione.