Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is an enclosed white limestone bridge in Venice that connects the Doge’s Palace to the adjoining New Prisons across the Rio di Palazzo. It was built in the early 17th century as a covered passage for prisoners moving between the palace and prison.

The small ornate bridge is a frequent subject of paintings and photographs and is viewed from the outside of the Doge’s Palace and from the nearby Ponte della Paglia. A famous legend later developed that prisoners paused on the bridge to sigh at their last view of Venice before imprisonment, a romanticised association rather than a documented historical practice.

Structurally it provides a short, secure link between the judicial rooms of the palace and the prison complex, forming part of the broader civic and penal architecture of Venetian governance in the early modern period.

• Date and Function: Constructed in the early 17th century, the bridge connects the interrogation rooms in the palace with the new prison complex and was designed as an enclosed passageway.
• Best Views: A popular viewpoint for visitors is from the outside of the Doge's Palace and the nearby Ponte della Paglia where the bridge's exterior and the canal can be photographed.

What to See #

• Bridge Structure: The bridge itself is a small, enclosed limestone structure that links the Doge's Palace with the neighbouring historic prison block across the Rio di Palazzo.
• Viewing Points: The adjacent viewpoints on the **Ponte della Paglia** and from the facade of the Doge's Palace offer the most popular public vistas of the bridge and the canal.