10 Picturesque Bridges in Venice

Due to its shape, Venice has 435 bridges between public and private, which connect the 118 islands on which it is built, crossing 176 canals. Most of them are made of stone. Other common materials are wood and iron.

Initially, the Venetian bridges were built of wood and without steps to allow the passage on the bridges of horses, which were used as a means of transport. Subsequently, the bridges began to be built in an arch shape, in stones and bricks, and with steps.

The first Bridge (Ponte in Italian) built in stone was near the Church of San Zaccaria, created by the Doge Pietro Sardonico. It was built using the Istrian stone, which is still used today for large city buildings. Two are the bridges of Venice that do not have bands and protective parapets.

One is the famous Ponte del Diavolo in Torcello island, and the other is the Ponte del Chiodo, visible in Rio di San Felice near the Scuola Grande della Misericordia.

10 Most Famous Bridges in Venice

1. Ponte della Costituzione:

​The Ponte della Costituzione is the fourth Bridge over the Grand Canal in Venice. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava and was moved into place in 2007 amid protests by politicians and the general public. The Bridge was installed in 2008 and opened to the public on September 11, 2008.

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2. Ponte dei Pugni:

One of Joseph Heintz’s paintings, the Younger, represents the popular fun in Venice—battagliole sui ponti—an annual competition between the inhabitants of the eastern and western sestiere (sestiere means district). Near Campo San Barnaba, it takes its name from an ancient custom in Venice: fistfights that used to take place on many bridges in Venice.

On this Bridge, two neighborhoods would fight at the top, with the purpose of throwing the opposite fighter into the canal below. The team that managed to keep more men on the Bridge would have won. These battles became too violent, so the Venetian government banned them in 1705. 

The Bridge still has four white footmarks indicating the starting line for the fighters. 

3. Ponte della Paglia: 

The current structure dates from 1847; the original system was built in 1360. The original design was the oldest stone bridge in Venice. The Bridge’s name is understood to come from boats mooring nearby to offload straw. 

It is where almost every single visitor in Venice pauses to get a view of the iconic and legendary Bridge of Sighs, between the Doge’s Palace and the prisons.

See the combined ticket for the Doge’s Place in Venice.

Aren’t you going to feel hungry after walking so much through Venetian Art and Culture? Guess what? I’ve got you covered! Please read my article about where to have the best local lunches in Venice!

Do you want to know more about Venice?  

Check out all my articles in the “Most Complete Guide of Venice” and get all the information you need to make your next travel successful. 

​Check my Article “Best Foods and Drinks to Try in Venice” to know which delicacies you will enjoy, and then read “Best Places to Have an Aperitivo or light lunch in Venice.” So you know where to go for a quick and delicious bite between visiting a museum and admiring a church.

Looking for a Food Tasting Tour? 

Why not try all the best Venetian food with a guide who will explain everything about it to you? Check prices and availability here: Walking Tour with Venice Street Food Tasting. 

4. The Ponte degli Scalzi:

It is one of only four bridges in Venice to span the Grand Canal. The Bridge connects the sestieri of Santa Croce and Cannaregio. 

The Chiesa degli Scalzi and the Santa Lucia railway station are on the north side, in the Cannaregio sestiere. The south side is the sestiere of Santa Croce.

‘Scalzi’ means ‘barefoot’ and relates to an order of barefoot monks who lived at the nearby Church of Santa Maria de Nazareth, sometimes called the Chiesa degli Scalzi. However, the Bridge was built when the monks no longer lived there.

Heads up! Do you want to know more about Venice? Check out my “How to Plan a Trip to Venice” and all my posts to visit Venice to get all the info to make your travel successful. 

5. Ponte delle Guglie:

The Ponte delle Guglie is one of two bridges in Venice that span the Cannaregio Canal. It lies near the canal’s western end, by the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station. An earlier wooden bridge was built in 1285. It was replaced by the current stone and brick bridge in 1580.

6. Ponte dell’Accademia:

The Accademia bridge crosses the Grand Canal towards its lower, southern end, linking the San Marco district with the Accademia Gallery in Dorsoduro. It offers two of the best views in Venice, looking along the Grand Canal in each direction. On one side lies the dome of Santa Maria della Salute; on the other, it takes the canal towards the Rialto Bridge.

In a city made mostly of stone architecture, it is surprising to come across a large, plain wooden bridge (another connects Venice to the residential island of San Pietro in Castello). 

You are going to meet many tourists on this Bridge. And a few illegal street salesmen are blocking the way with dodgy handbags (I told you, so don’t hope they are real).

This Bridge still has much more atmosphere than the other bridges over the Grand Canal, and it is easier to find a peaceful moment here. Greg Wise proposed to Emma Thompson on the Accademia Bridge, so the view is worth visiting.

See the Private Accademia Gallery and Dorsoduro Tour.

Do you want to save money in Venice? Check out the Venice Museum Card, which includes visits to Marciana National Library, Palazzo Ducale, the Correr Museum, the Archeological Museum, public transport, and much more.

7. Ponte di Rialto: 

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal in Venice. Connecting the sestieri of San Marco and San Polo, it was first constructed as a pontoon bridge in 1173 and has been rebuilt several times. It is now a significant tourist attraction in the city.

The Rialto bridge, with a wide arch of 28 meters, 22 meters wide, and high above the average tide line of 7.5 meters, crosses the Grand Canal and remains the king of all Venetian bridges.

This Bridge summarizes in its ancient name all the glorious history of commercial and maritime Venice life. In my opinion, this is one of the best spots to enjoy the sunset. Of course, it will be very crowded, so go there earlier to get the perfect spot to enjoy it.

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8. Ponte dei Sospiri:

The enclosed Bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace. Between legends and beliefs, the Bridge of Sighs is one of the most visited places in Venice. One must see that it should be called at least once in a lifetime.

Perhaps the most famous bridge in Venice, honored worldwide, is built in Istrian stone. The Ponte dei Sospiri is visible on both sides but can only be seen from two other bridges, the Ponte della Paglia and the Ponte della Canonica. 

The only way to walk through it is to visit Palazzo del Doge and the prisons, and trust me, it is worth it, so book your ticket in advance and add it to your Venice itinerary.

Heads up! Very Important Question: Do you like Wine? If the answer is Yes! Check out the wine tasting in Venice. 

9. Ponte dei Tre Archi:

The Ponte dei Tre Archi is one of the main bridges of Venice, along with the Ponte delle Guglie, the other Bridge spanning the Cannaregio Canal, and the four bridges spanning the Canal Grande: Rialto, Scalzi, Accademia, and the Costituzione.

It is a perfect spot where to relax after all the walking. It is usually not crowded, and there are many excellent bars and restaurants nearby where you can have a break and relax.

10. Il Ponte del Diavolo:

Torcello island has a bridge called “Il Ponte del Diavolo” (The Devil’s Bridge). Some say that Diavoli was the nickname of a local family. But some tell a legend with its protagonists, a witch, a young Austrian man, a young girl, and the devil himself.

Legend says a Venetian girl fell in love with an army officer during the Austrian invasion. Their union was not well seen by her family, who did everything to prevent their love story from continuing.  The girl was removed from Venice until she received the news that her young lover had been murdered by an unknown hand. 

In desperation, she stopped eating and abandoned herself to death when a family friend advised her to go to a witch she knew. The witch met the young woman and entered into a pact with the devil: the souls of 7 Christian children who died prematurely in exchange for the young Austrian. 

The place agreed for the meeting is the Torcello bridge. The two women reached the island by boat, and once they got off on the right side of the Devil’s Bridge, the witch gave the girl a lit candle and a gold coin. It was her turn. 

The girl crossed the Bridge. The witch invoked the demon who spat out the key of space and time in the water, taking the gold coin in exchange as soon as he saw the girl. At that moment, the young Austrian appeared on the other side of the Bridge; the girl joined him and blew out the candle. The darkness showed them the way to a happy life. The witch still had to pay her debt and agreed with the demon to deliver the souls: December 24 was the agreed day. 

Upon returning home, however, the witch was killed by a young man who had witnessed the scene and wanted to save these poor children’s souls. The devil came to the appointment without knowing the fate that had befallen the witch. So, from that day, on December 24 of every year, the devil shows up at the Devil’s Bridge in Torcello as a black cat to collect his payment.