[Illustration: HALL OF THE GRAND COUNCIL, DOGE’S PALACE
_This was the assembly hall of the great council, which consisted of
all members of the nobility over twenty._]
In one room you will find yourself gazing from a window at a sight that
will be familiar to you; though you may never have traveled before. You
will exclaim when you see it, “The Bridge of Sighs!” A corridor nearby
leads you to the bridge. You will take it, and find that it conducts
you across from the Palace of the Doges to the prison, where are to be
seen the gloomy walls as well as the torture chamber and the place of
execution of former days. The Bridge of Sighs is best known in Venice,
and the reason for it is chiefly sentimental. The Council of Ten of
the Middle Ages is supposed to have sent doomed state prisoners across
this bridge to their execution. We gather that these unfortunates
saw the light of day for the last time when crossing the bridge. The
thought is enough to seize upon the imagination of visitors, and
many of them indulge themselves in sympathetic reveries when there.
The interior of the Bridge of Sighs is gloomy enough to start creepy
feelings; but there is no need of wasting too much sentiment on it. W.
D. Howells calls it a “pathetic swindle.” As a matter of fact, there
is no evidence that any great number of prisoners, or any prisoner of
importance, ever crossed there.
[Illustration: BRONZE WELL, DOGE’S PALACE]
Aside from any sentimental reason, however, the Bridge of Sighs is most
interesting architecturally. It was built in 1600. It is attractive in
design, and it makes a good picture, connecting with fine lines the two
grim buildings on each side and bridging over the long, narrow canal
beneath.