The Cannaregio Canal of Venice is crossed by two bridges, and Ponte delle Guglie is one of them. The present bridge was built in 1823, but the very exact site used to be filled by another more ancient bridge, called Ponte di Cannaregio. The latter was first built in 1285, and then restored or fully replaced in 1580, and then successively rebuilt in 1641 and 1677.

Upon its reconstruction in 1823, the bridge was provided with spiral-shaped decorations, from where its current name derives (“guglie” meaning “spires”). In terms of decorations, also worth noting are the stone gargoyles placed on the arch of the bridge. The carved balustrades which border its sides must also be mentioned. On top of all these, the bridge has also been recently endowed to allow the passage of people with reduced mobility (in 1987), which gave vent to numerous criticisms in respect to the substantial modification of this old infrastructural landmark of Venice.

Speaking of infrastructure, the bridge is located close to the Santa Lucia Train Station, also making the connection to areas like the Ghetto Nuovo for people who come from either Piazza San Marco or from San Polo (after crossing the Rialto Bridge).

Name:
Ponte delle Guglie (Bridge of Spires)
Address:
Cannaregio, Venice, Italy
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