The Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs was built between 1600 and 1603 and crosses a side canal between the Doge's Palace and the prison in Venice. Its name reportedly comes from the fact that convicts would sigh as they caught their last glimpse of Venice before being confined to their cells.


I learned about it as an architecture student - it was an example of the Baroque architectural style as well as the ornateness for which the Venetians were known - and so I always wanted to see it for myself. This past July, I finally got to do so.

I even got to walk across it, which is possible if you take a tour of the Doge's Palace (and, if you're in Venice for any time at all, you should).

It's not particularly spectacular. It's only about 35 feet in length, which really doesn't compare to Venice's famous Grand Canal bridges, such as the Rialto Bridge or Calatrava's Ponte della Costituzione. But the Bridge of Sighs is nevertheless pretty, with its while limestone and Renaissance decoration.

There's also just something satisfying about finally being able to see in person something that you learned about many years ago. Even if the item in question isn't all that spectacular - quite frankly, the rooms and the artworks within the Doge's Palace are much more breathtaking than the Bridge of Sighs - it's still nice to be able to lay your own eyes upon something like the Bridge of Sighs and evaluate and experience it for yourself, rather than let a picture (or an architecture professor) do it for you.

Which is why everybody needs to travel more!

A view of the bridge from inside one of the rooms in the Doge's Palace

A view of Venice from one of the Bridge's windows

A closer view from one of the Bridge's windows