Bridge Sixty-Six - Ponte della Costituzione

And then, ten steps further, we were at the bridge we've been looking forward to for most of the day - Ponte della Costituzione, that is,  Constitution Bridge, or as it's colloquially called, the Calatrava Bridge, after the Spanish architect who designed it. The bridge has a modern, minimalist design that's a mix of the old. It has Istrian stone steps that are a traditional Venetian bridge feature set in a trendy steel frame with glass balustrades. 

Apparently it was controversial from the start with complaints about its out-of-place design, lack of wheelchair access, and the fact that it duplicates the function of the Ponte Scalzi which is only a stone's throw away. But then, a few  thousand people a day use it to cross from Piazza Roma to the station area and onwards into Venice along the Grand Canal's left bank, so it can't be that bad.

Bridge Thirty-Eight - Ponte Storto

Next we encountered another Ponte Storto, one of those skewed bridges that crosses at an elbow in the canal, and thus at an odd angle. 

It leads into a small, quiet square, the Campiello dei Callegheri, with an ornamental, traditional water well-head located prominently in the middle of it only metres from the bridge. The well-head has a Romanesque design which means it's probably very old, since many such structures predate those with Byzantine and Renaissance designs. For many years these wells were the hub of the community and the place to catch up on the latest news and gossip as people gathered around to collect a bucket or two of water for their homes. Some wells in the city still have that function, complete with water on tap, and are much appreciated by the dogs of the city, who stop by for a quick drink during their morning and afternoon walks. 

Bridge Thirty-Seven - Ponte della Malvasia Vecchia

While walking across the last bridge we inevitably got propositioned by the Vu Cumpra and their handbag bargains while looking the bridge over, but left behind their calls to negotiate a good price quite quickly as we moved on. We now entered a fairly quiet residential neighbourhood that provided one of the most picturesque settings for our next bridge, the Ponte della Malvasia Vecchia. It's the second 'Malvasia' bridge we crossed today, so we assumed there was once a winery or wine shop in the area.



The bridge was rebuilt in cast iron in the nineteenth century, when many bridges received a makeover, and has particularly artistic hand-railings with leaf and flower patterns around lion's head emblems. The red bricks in the wall, Victorian street lamp and Byzantine window frames provided a perfect backdrop for this small, pretty bridge.



Also, in the photo you'll see a banner announcing yet another art exhibition hanging from a wall adjacent to the bridge. I really believe one can spend an entire year in Venice going to a different arts venue every day and not see the same exhibition twice, that's how many are there. They're advertised everywhere - on banners like this, on bridges, rubbish bins, vaporetto stations, any space that can hold a poster or placard. Of course they all charge an entry fee, but they're a staple and popular rendezvous for most tourists, especially events featuring world-renowned artists.