Bridge of Sighs
The Bridge of Sighs, or Ponte dei Sospiri, is an enclosed link between punishment and power in Venice: it connects the New Prison (Prigioni Nuove) to the interrogation rooms in the Doge’s Palace. Designed by Antonio Contin, the bridge crosses the Rio di Palazzo in white limestone, with windows and stone bars that keep the passage tightly controlled. The English name “Bridge of Sighs” was given in the 19th century by Lord Byron, based on the idea that prisoners would be forced to take one last look at Venice—then would “sigh” before descending to their cells. The bridge is often dated to the early 1600s—it’s commonly given a build date of 1614—and it is tied to a family of great Venetian builders: Contin’s uncle was Antonio da Ponte, designer of the Rialto Bridge. Its afterlife reached far beyond Venice, too: H. H. Richardson used it as inspiration for part of the Allegheny County Jail complex in Pittsburgh, completed in 1888.
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