The Bridge of Sighs and New Prisons
Feichtner, Chris. (2014). Bridge of Sighs in Venice. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/squics/16614657075/in/photolist-fKinE-rjbsGK-4fFSsN-fgndsS-5tABQp-htDkxg-fgmLKA-esCZ21-peQBt5-6hMNAK-bUeNAM-6f9gzR-63SFar-g4r6WB-5xYcqd-6gLWXU-m6sxga-aiSoBU-5qRD4v-bsF2FH-qWVpaT-cAyg6C-6ebxcu-zcVWh-JHRmC-2uSLz-63WUBL-2uSLy-2rxYnM-4pdhCo-cQMhHy-cAvxM7-58aBg4-5D9F8z-7XcYQr-NcJEk-2Cz1va-5oCC1T-9XMe9r-p6Tns4-pCFhbZ-pV6VHe-8Ty6E-5oCB9F-5oGSNo-f7zLsJ-v8APU-81VTUy-8iYFYb-cwt6z. Available under CC BY-NC 2.0
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Over View
The Bridge of Sighs was constructed to connect the old prisons/interrogation rooms in the Doge Palace to the new prisons located across the river (Bridge of Sighs). Began in the year 1614, the Bridge of Sighs took two years to complete (Layout and Collections: Prisons). Background Information Attracting many visitors to Venice, the Bridge of Sighs is a famous attraction for the province of Venice. There are two legends behind the name of the historical Bridge. The first legend is that Prisoners would pass through the bridge and catch their last glimpse of Venice, which would cause them to sigh (Bridge of Sighs Italyguides). The prisoners were heard from the outside by Lord Byron and his recollection of their sighs is how the bridge got its name (Destination 360). The other legend is on the romantic side, stating that if a couple kisses under the bridge they will have eternal love (Bridge of Sighs). So the lovers will sigh because of the overwhelming romance in the moment (Bridge of Sighs). Architecture The Bridge of Sighs was designed by Antonio Contino. Constructed in the Italian Renaissance style, the bridge of sighs is made of white limestone, and is 36 feet wide (Bridge of Sighs). On the bridge you will also see "Mascarons" or masks, that depict different emotions (Bridge of Sighs). |
McSpadden, David. (2013). Bridge of Sighs Inside Window. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/familyclan/10814331405/in/photolist-htCgXK-a7d8Vo-bWqqPW-6ypmyG-6ypnmb-5DyCwE-cPT91-Trw9D-9t3nAQ-kRoPRW-c5qu57-6BAYFq-6BAYwS-7nokm1-5qhXQf-cXJQoU-fQLMUf-aRawA-8YGjnS-fwe5H6-4ugwBt-4U7uRc-VC561-3f1y65-bUBBP4-bUBBt6-feRXgt-cwBFrd-8ZVHLJ-fics2p-daUyX3-bgeuxD-kRmT4n-4BtZU-cQmVn-4stwGi-4stvKi-796aKq-36GXc-6jjUZi-EkL2f-c2QRP-cfzQoA-bWqr4G-bWqqsL-7A4JeB-5AvhqV-5Avix2-5AzCao-5Avq8P. Available under CC BY 2.0.
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Harber, Kevin. (2009). Bridge of Sighs. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevharb/3314304175/in/photolist-63SFar-5xYcqd-6gLWXU-m6sxga-aiSoBU-5qRD4v-bsF2FH-qWVpaT-cAyg6C-6ebxcu-zcVWh-JHRmC-2uSLz-63WUBL-2uSLy-2rxYnM-4pdhCo-cAvxM7-58aBg4-5D9F8z-7XcYQr-NcJEk-5oCC1T-9XMe9r-p6Tns4-pCFhbZ-pV6VHe-8Ty6E-5oCB9F-5oGSNo-f7zLsJ-v8APU-81VTUy-8iYFYb-cwt6z-esCZ21-rDGm4S-htCgXK-e8fYK9-mUQ7fw-c5qu57-4kqY1F-cXJQoU-4U7uRc-bUBBP4-bUBBt6-fxYNYC-47ifkL-47ieLA-an4PQn. Available under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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On the right there is a closer look at the Bridge. You can see the details that are carved into the white limestone, including the mascarons. Interestingly enough, there is only one mascaron, or mask, that is smiling (it is the second one from the left side). On the left side, there is the actual view of the outside world from inside of the bridge. This glimpse that we have here, is exactly what prisoners saw for the very last time before being condemned.
Images of The New Prisons
Giacomo Casanova: The Famous Prisoner
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The prisons that The Bridge of Sighs led to, were notorious for being hard to escape however there is one prisoner that was known for escaping. This prisoner is Giacomo Casanova. Giacomo was a famous hero and adventurer who was known best for his escape of the prison, but he also was a seducer, actor, amateur scholar and actor. Giacomo wrote a memoir of his life, titled "The Story of My Escape from the Piombi", and it became it extremely popular read in Italy. His escape was on the night of October 31st, 1756, where he dug himself out of the cell, climbed unto the roof, went into an attic, and managed to get on the golden staircase of the Doge Palace. It was said that Giacomo was noticed by a guard on the staircase, but the guard thought he was a politician who got locked in the palace so he let Giacomo go. A legend even says that he stopped for Coffee in the San Marco Square before he fled Venice by the sea on a gondola (Giacomo Casanova's Cell).
More on Giacomo Casanova's memoir "The Story of My Escape from the Piombi" here. |
Casanova, Francesco G. (1750). Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Casanova_ritratto.jpg. Available under [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
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Works Cited
Bridge of Sighs. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.aviewoncities.com/venice/bridgeofsighs.htm
Layout and Collections: Prisons. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/layout-and-collections/prisons/
The Bridge of Sighs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/doge_s_palace/the_bridge_of_sighs.htm
Bridge of Sighs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.destination360.com/europe/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs
Giacomo Casanova's Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/doge_s_palace/giacomo_casanova/casanova_s_cell.htm
Bridge of Sighs. (2015, January 1). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.aviewoncities.com/venice/bridgeofsighs.htm
Layout and Collections: Prisons. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/the-museum/layout-and-collections/prisons/
The Bridge of Sighs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/doge_s_palace/the_bridge_of_sighs.htm
Bridge of Sighs. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.destination360.com/europe/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs
Giacomo Casanova's Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from http://www.italyguides.it/us/venice_italy/doge_s_palace/giacomo_casanova/casanova_s_cell.htm
