Bridge Sixteen - Ponte San Antonio

We're now only steps away from the popular Rialto bridge, one of the two busiest places in Venice, and people traffic on the streets have increased significantly. It's therefore fortunate that the next bridge we encounter, Ponte San Antonio, is one of the widest bridges we've visited so far. So wide, in fact, that most people walking on it won't realise they're crossing a canal.

Connecting the Sestieri - neighbourhoods - of San Marco and Castello, its walkway is unusually wide for a bridge that crosses a rather narrow, quiet canal, the Rio de la Fava. Perhaps its builders realised it would have to cater for lots of tourists later on!

Notice the stone pillars supporting the iron rails, it's the first time we're encountering this design. The bridge is dedicated to Saint Anthony, and there's a small statue of him on the wall of a building bordering the bridge to the left. Small things like that is what give the bridges of Venice character. 

And notice the ubiquitous love locks dangling like old Christmas decorations from the bridge rail, but more about that later...