Ponte delle Guglie
Encyclopedia
The Ponte delle Guglie is one of two bridges in Venice
, Italy
, to span the Cannaregio Canal. It lies near the western end of the canal, by the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station
.
An earlier wooden bridge was built in 1285. It was replaced by the current stone and brick bridge in 1580. It was restored in 1641 and 1677, and was totally rebuilt in 1823 at which time spires were added. Further restoration took place in 1987 with the addition of metal handrails, stone steps, and access for the disabled. The spire
s lie at each end of the bridge. A carved balustrade runs on either side of the walkway, and gargoyle
s decorate its arch
. It is the only bridge in Venice adorned with spires from whence it takes its name ("Bridge of Spires").
For those arriving on foot from Piazzale Roma
or the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station, the bridge leads into the area of the Venetian Ghetto
and the Strada Nova that leads to Piazza San Marco
.
The bridge itself is located just before the point where the Cannaregio Canal flows into the Grand Canal, just inside the bend that leads to the Rialto Bridge
.
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, to span the Cannaregio Canal. It lies near the western end of the canal, by the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station
Venezia Santa Lucia railway station
Venezia Santa Lucia railway station is a terminal station serving the comune of Venice, Italy. It is also the only railway station in the historic city of Venice ....
.
An earlier wooden bridge was built in 1285. It was replaced by the current stone and brick bridge in 1580. It was restored in 1641 and 1677, and was totally rebuilt in 1823 at which time spires were added. Further restoration took place in 1987 with the addition of metal handrails, stone steps, and access for the disabled. The spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
s lie at each end of the bridge. A carved balustrade runs on either side of the walkway, and gargoyle
Gargoyle
In architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
s decorate its arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
. It is the only bridge in Venice adorned with spires from whence it takes its name ("Bridge of Spires").
For those arriving on foot from Piazzale Roma
Piazzale Roma
Piazzale Roma is a square in Venice, Italy.The square acts as the main bus station for Venice. There are bus links to Venice Marco Polo Airport and Treviso Airport. The square is close to the main Santa Lucia railway station for Venice, linked by the Ponte della Costituzione, a modern footbridge...
or the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station, the bridge leads into the area of the Venetian Ghetto
Venetian Ghetto
The Venetian Ghetto was the area of Venice in which Jews were compelled to live under the Venetian Republic. It is from its name in Italian , that the English word "ghetto" is derived: in the Venetian language it was named "ghèto".-Etymology:...
and the Strada Nova that leads to Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco , is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza". All other urban spaces in the city are called "campi"...
.
The bridge itself is located just before the point where the Cannaregio Canal flows into the Grand Canal, just inside the bend that leads to the Rialto Bridge
Rialto Bridge
The Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.- History :...
.