Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge
Ponte di Rialto

The Rialto Bridge
Coordinates 45°26′17″N 12°20′09″E / 45.438037°N 12.335895°E / 45.438037; 12.335895Coordinates: 45°26′17″N 12°20′09″E / 45.438037°N 12.335895°E / 45.438037; 12.335895
Carries pedestrian bridge[1]
Crosses Grand Canal
Locale Venice, Italy
Characteristics
Design stone arch bridge
Width 8.90 metres (29.2 ft)
Height 7.32 metres (24.0 ft) (arch only)
Longest span 31.80 metres (104.3 ft)
History
Construction begin 1588
Construction end 1591

The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.

History

Two gondoliers pull out with clients on board from a row of gondolas on the Grand Canal near Rialto Bridge.

The first dry crossing of the Grand Canal was a pontoon bridge built in 1181 by Nicolò Barattieri. It was called the Ponte della Moneta, presumably because of the mint that stood near its eastern entrance.[2]

Detail of the bridge

The development and importance of the Rialto market on the eastern bank increased traffic on the floating bridge, so it was replaced in 1255 by a wooden bridge.[2] This structure had two inclined ramps meeting at a movable central section, that could be raised to allow the passage of tall ships. The connection with the market eventually led to a change of name for the bridge. During the first half of the 15th century, two rows of shops were built along the sides of the bridge. The rents brought an income to the State Treasury, which helped maintain the bridge.

Maintenance was vital for the timber bridge. It was partly burnt in the revolt led by Bajamonte Tiepolo in 1310. In 1444, it collapsed under the weight of a crowd watching a boat parade and it collapsed again in 1524.

The idea of rebuilding the bridge in stone was first proposed in 1503. Several projects were considered over the following decades. In 1551, the authorities requested proposals for the renewal of the Rialto Bridge, among other things. Plans were offered by famous architects, such as Jacopo Sansovino, Palladio and Vignola, but all involved a Classical approach with several arches, which was judged inappropriate to the situation. Michelangelo also was considered as designer of the bridge.

The present stone bridge, a single span designed by Antonio da Ponte, was finally completed in 1591. It is similar to the wooden bridge it succeeded. Two inclined ramps lead up to a central portico. On either side of the portico, the covered ramps carry rows of shops. The engineering of the bridge was considered so audacious that architect Vincenzo Scamozzi predicted future ruin. The bridge has defied its critics to become one of the architectural icons of Venice.

Other names

It was called Shylock's bridge in Robert Browning's poem A Toccata of Galuppi's.

See also

Comparison of the side elevations of the Rialto Bridge and some notable bridges at the same scale. (click for interactive version)

References

  1. ↑ Fulton, Charles Carroll (1874). Europe Viewed Through American Spectacles (Google Books). Philadelphia: J.P. Lippincott & Co. p. 242. Retrieved 5 September 2008. There being no vehicles or horses in Venice, it is simply for pedestrians.
  2. 1 2 Molmenti, Pompeo; Horatio Forbes Brown (13 October 1906). Venice: Its Individual Growth from the Earliest Beginnings to the Fall of the Republic (Google Books). Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co. p. 29. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
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