# Bridge of Sighs, Venice > The Bridge of Sighs is a small enclosed bridge of white stone over a narrow canal behind the Doge's Palace, one of Venice's icons. Built around 1600, it linked the palace with the prison building next door. Viewing it from outside is free — best from the Ponte della Paglia on the waterfront — and you can cross it on a Doge's Palace ticket. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs - City: [Venice](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice), Italy - YesGo score: 57/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 15 min - Entry: Free outside - Opening hours: Outside any time; inside during Doge's Palace hours - With kids: Fine with kids - Outside: Free, 24 hours - Inside: On the Doge's Palace ticket - Best view: From the Ponte della Paglia on the Riva degli Schiavoni - Built: 1600–1603, by Antonio Contino - Time needed: 10–15 minutes - Vaporetto: San Zaccaria, 2 minutes - Coordinates: 45.43406, 12.34086 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1600–1603** — built to designs by Antonio Contino (source: English Wikipedia) - **Istrian stone** — the white limestone it's made of (source: English Wikipedia) - **2 windows** — with stone bars look out on the canal and lagoon (source: English Wikipedia) - **19th century** — Lord Byron's verse made the name famous (source: English Wikipedia) - **Rio di Palazzo** — the canal it crosses (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history In the late 16th century a new prison building rose behind the Doge's Palace, across the narrow **Rio di Palazzo**. To move people from the palace courtrooms straight across without going outside, architect **Antonio Contino** spanned the canal in **1600–1603** with an enclosed bridge — not an open footbridge but a covered stone gallery with two narrow corridors inside. Its poetic name came much later, in the **19th century**, through **Lord Byron**. The romantic story goes that those crossing sighed at their last glimpse of the lagoon through its little windows. The name went global: Oxford, Cambridge and other cities have their own "bridges of sighs". ## What it looks like The bridge is built of white **Istrian stone**, the same pale limestone as the Doge's Palace. Small but ornate, it has a curved arch, carved masks over the span and two little **windows with stone bars**. Inside, two narrow corridors are divided by a wall so that people passing never saw each other. Gondolas glide beneath, the gondoliers ducking under the low arch, and at night the floodlit bridge glows above the dark canal. ## What to see - **View from the Ponte della Paglia** — the classic angle. - **The barred windows** — on the bridge's façade. - **Gondolas beneath** — along the Rio di Palazzo. - **The walk inside** — on the Doge's Palace route. - **Riva degli Schiavoni** — the lagoon promenade. - **Ponte della Canonica** — the view from the other side. ## Ponte della Paglia and the waterfront The classic view comes from the neighbouring **Ponte della Paglia** on the **Riva degli Schiavoni**, its name — "straw bridge" — said to recall boats unloading straw here. Expect to wait a moment for a spot at the parapet. For a quieter angle, try the **Ponte della Canonica** at the other end of the canal, behind St Mark's. > **The kiss legend** A modern Venetian belief says lovers who kiss in a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset, as the Campanile bells ring, will love each other for ever. Gondolas pass beneath on their way to the lagoon — ask your gondolier to include it. ## How to get there 1. Vaporetto 1, 2 or 4.1 to **San Zaccaria**, 2 minutes along the quay. 2. From [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco), walk past the Doge's Palace to the Ponte della Paglia — 3 minutes. 3. Inside, on the [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) route. 4. From the [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge), 12 minutes on foot. ## Is the Bridge of Sighs worth it? Yes — it's among Venice's most recognisable sights, two steps from Piazza San Marco. Stand on the Ponte della Paglia, wait for a gondola and take your photo; it's packed by day, so come early or in the evening. To cross it and peer out at the lagoon through those famous windows, buy a Doge's Palace ticket. Kids enjoy spotting the carved masks and counting gondolas, and the Riva degli Schiavoni beside it is a lovely evening stroll. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Stand on the Ponte della Paglia for photos - [ ] Come early or in the evening - [ ] Wait for a gondola to pass under - [ ] Cross it inside with a Doge's Palace ticket - [ ] Walk the Riva degli Schiavoni ## Views in Venice: compare and choose Viewpoints in Venice rated by YesGo. - [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside - [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Piazza San Marco](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/piazza-san-marco) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Santa Maria della Salute](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/santa-maria-della-salute) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Grand Canal](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/grand-canal) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; water bus paid - [St Mark's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid - [Accademia Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/accademia-bridge) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [San Giorgio Maggiore](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/san-giorgio-maggiore) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free; tower paid - [Burano](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/burano) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free - [Torcello](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/torcello) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free; cathedral paid ## San Marco in half a day The basilica, the Doge's Palace and Bridge of Sighs, the Campanile and a walk to the Rialto. 1. [St Mark's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-basilica) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid 2. [Doge's Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/doges-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Paid 3. [Bridge of Sighs](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/bridge-of-sighs) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 15 min · Free outside 4. [St Mark's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/st-marks-campanile) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid 5. [Rialto Bridge](https://yesgo.io/italy/venice/rialto-bridge) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free ## Don't mix it up The Bridge of Sighs isn't the Rialto: the Rialto is the big shop-lined bridge over the Grand Canal, while the Bridge of Sighs is the small covered bridge behind the Doge's Palace. ## Tips - Photograph it from the Ponte della Paglia. - Early morning — no crowds. - Cross it on a Doge's Palace ticket. - Gondolas pass right underneath. ## Questions ### Why is it called the Bridge of Sighs? Lord Byron popularised the name in the 19th century: romantically, those crossing sighed at their last view of the lagoon. ### Can you walk across the Bridge of Sighs? Yes, inside, on the Doge's Palace route. ### Where's the best view of the Bridge of Sighs? From the Ponte della Paglia on the Riva degli Schiavoni, beside the Doge's Palace. ### When was the Bridge of Sighs built? In 1600–1603, designed by Antonio Contino. ### What's the gondola legend? Lovers who kiss in a gondola under the bridge at sunset will, it's said, stay together for ever. ## How we checked History and description from English Wikipedia. The Doge's Palace ticket price wasn't confirmed — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Bridge of Sighs --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.