Bridge Thirty-Six - Ponte Zaguri o Corner

Not far from the twin bridges is the Ponte Zaguri o Corner, named after two noble families from the seventeenth century who owned palaces in the area. We reached the bridge around one o'clock in the afternoon, and  the sun was drenching the bridge and its scenery in a bright early spring light.

Ponte Zaguri o Corner

On top of the bridge were two or three dark figures that are another piece in the mosaic of life on bridges in the areas most frequented by tourists: The Vu Cumpra. The apt name for these guys - they're all male - is a kind of  slang interpretation of the Italian for 'do you want to buy?' and refers to the illegal fake label handbags they sell to gullible tourists. They're often seen on bridges or campos, one eye watching out for potential clients and the other for the Venetian police, with whom they play an endless cat and mouse game.

No comments:

Post a Comment