T his is the most famous bridge in all of Venice. Early on people were forced to get acquainted with it because for hundreds of years it was the only way to get from one side of the city across the Grand Canal to the other without using a boat. ("Rialto" means "high bank" in Latin.) Not surprisingly, a thriving commercial center sprang up around it. Today there are still fish, fruit, and vegetable markets along the streets leading to the Ponte di Rialto and there are actually shops on the bridge, itself. Most of the spans in the city had been built from stone since the 1100s. But because of the bustling neighborhood around it, wood was used for the Rialto because it was faster to replace than stone. However, repeated collapses due to decay, sabotage, and fire forced the city to commission a new stone bridge. A contest was held and a design by Antonio da Ponte was chosen over such famous architects as Michaelangelo. In 1854 a second bridge was constructed across the Grand Canal taking some of the pressure off the Rialto, but the Istrian stone span still stands as a landmark today.
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