Next on the list is the Ponte de Ca' Balà, named after the once-resident Bala family. We stood on the crest of the bridge for a moment to admire the buildings of Giudecca across the water, but by now the sun was burning down on our bare heads, and with no shade coming our way we moved on a little faster to the next bridge.
The Ponte agli Incurabili is named after a hospital that treated 'incurable' diseases back in 1522, which is the year when it was established. However, what was different about this bridge was the temporary ramps constructed up and down its staircases. While the ramps were placed initially for the Venice Marathon, they were left in place to improve accessibility for those who are stopped by Venice's thousands of bridge steps from moving around freely and enjoying the city. Apparently there are moves to make these ramps more permanent. Let's hope that becomes a reality!
These days the hospital building is used as a school, and yes, we'd hardly crossed the bridge when we saw a group of little ones noisily coming from ahead under the watchful eyes of three nuns.
Alberto Toso Fei talks about the name Ca' Balà as one of the mysteries in Venice. He says there wasn't a family of that name in the history of Venice.
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