Bridge of Sighs

By Patricia Winton

The grand old department-store-of-yore, Woodward and Lothrop, used to occupy two buildings in downtown Washington, D.C. A pedestrian skyway allowed customers to browse both buildings without facing the weather—somewhat like modern shopping centers. I always found that walkway appealing, and while it wasn’t unique, it was the one I knew. After the store folded its wings and closed its doors, I realized I’d first been fascinated by such a pedestrian bridge in Venice.

The Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) connects the interrogation rooms of the Palazzo Ducale (Doges Palace) and the attached Old Prison with the New Prison across the river. Built between 1600 and 1602 by Antoni Cortini, the enclosed bridge provided prisoners no hope of escape as they moved from one side of the river to the other.

Constructed of white limestone, the 36-foot-wide (11 meters) structure features two windows covered with stone grid-work on each side, another feature designed to contain prisoners. The span is comprised of two parallel corridors, one linking the prison with the magistrate’s office (used by visitors today), the other going from prisons to the interrogation rooms. Despite its grim function, the bridge is a monument to Renaissance creativity. A shallow arch supporting the walkway is dotted with sculptures of faces, all but one frowning. The arch is repeated as a design element over the top of the structure and embellished with scrolls.

One legend says the name comes from sighs prisoners leaving the palace interrogation rooms emitted at the bit of light they could see from the stone-clad windows. Once over the bridge, they knew there would be no return, whether they faced execution or imprisonment.

In truth, the name comes from the 19th century poem Childe Harold by Lord Byron:

          I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs,
          A palace and a prison on each hand.

Other lore holds that if lovers kiss under the bridge at dusk, they will be rewarded with eternal love. Promoted by gondoliers, no doubt, this legend sends lover-laden gondolas to the Rio del Palazzo (Palace River) every evening at sunset.

Today, skyways link many buildings throughout the world, offering people respite from heat or cold, rain or wind, as they traverse cities. Few people realize that it all began with a plan to restrict freedom, not provide it.

Please join me on alternate Thursdays at Italian Intrigues where I write about all things Italian. Next week, I talk about a special cheese.