Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy
The Ponte dei Sospiri or Bridge of Sighs (right), 1600, designed by Antonio Contino, Venice, Italy. The bridge spans the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison or Prigioni Nuove to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. The enclosed limestone bridge is so named as this would be the last view of Venice for prisoners on the way to their cells. On the left is a sculpture of the Drunkenness of Noah by Filippo Calendario on the corner of the Doge's Palace or Palazzo Ducale, begun 1340 and built in Venetian Gothic style. The city of Venice is an archipelago of 117 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges, in the Venetian Lagoon. The historical centre of Venice is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen
