Bridge
of Sighs Venice
Il Ponte dei Sospiri or Bridge of Sighs was built in 1600 to connect the Doge’s Palace with the Prison. The name "Bridge of Sighs" was invented in the 19th Century, when Lord Byron helped to popularise the belief that the bridge's name was inspired by the sighs of condemned prisoners as they were led through it to the executioner. (In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built, and the cells under the palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals.). The Bridge of Sighs is included in the guided tour of the Doge's Palace, which you can book by appointment. This 90-minute tour is conducted in Italian; it also includes the prisons, torture chambers, and other rooms that normally aren't open to visitors.
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