The Ponte di Rialto, or Rialto Bridge, gets its name from the part of
Venice it is in. This locality was the ancient city of Venice, and
derives its name, Rialto, from Rivo Alto, as the land on the left of
the canal was called. Even after the city expanded it continued to be
the center of commerce and trade, the business heart of Venice. In this
quarter were the Fabriche, or warehouses and custom houses, and many of
the handsomest buildings, such as the Fondaco dei Turchi (Warehouse of
the Turks) and the Fondaco dei Tedeschi (Warehouse of the Germans). It
is this part of the city that Shakespeare means, when Shylock says:
“Signor Antonio, many a time and oft
In the Rialto you have rated me
About my moneys.”
The first Bridge of Rialto was built by an engineer named Barattieri
in 1180. Up to this time a bridge of boats had been used. Barattieri’s
bridge may be seen in the great picture of Carpaccio in the Accademia.
In the sixteenth century there was a great competition for the honor of
designing the new bridge. Fra Giocondo, Sansovino, Palladio, Vignola,
and even Michelangelo himself contended. Antonio da Ponte obtained the
coveted prize, and he began the present Ponte di Rialto in 1588 under
Doge Pasquale Cicogna. At its completion it was very much criticized.
Soon, however, this criticism was silenced, and on the engravings of
the time it is called “Il Famoso Ponte” (The Famous Bridge). The span
of the Rialto Bridge is 91 feet; its height is 24½ feet; its width, 72
feet.
The Annunciation on the bridge is by Girolamo Campagna. The angel is
at one end of the span, and the Madonna is at the other end. The dove,
flying toward the Madonna, forms the keystone of the bridge.
Along the footway of the bridge is a long line of shops.
Close to the Rialto Bridge is the Church of St. Giacomo di Rialto. This
church is said to date from the foundation of the town. It possesses no
remains of its antiquity. The campanile of the Church of St. Giacomo
is a fine example. Built almost altogether of brick, the long lines of
its arcades give an effect of great height. The details are good. Their
character is Gothic.
Facing the church a statue of a hunchback, “Il Gobbo di Rialto,”
supports a pillar. From the back of this statue the laws of the
republic were proclaimed, and this was the center of business life in
Venice.
And as we gaze upon all these relics of the past we agree with Lawrence
Hutton:
“So strange and so strong is the power of fiction over truth, in
Venice, as everywhere else, that Portia and Emilia, Cassio, Antonio,
and Iago appear to have been more real here than are the women and
men in real life. We see, on the Rialto, Shylock first, and then its
history and associations; and the Council Chamber of the Palace of the
Doges is chiefly interesting as being the scene of Othello’s eloquent
defense of himself.”
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 1, No. 27, SERIAL No. 27
[Illustration: A TYPICAL VENETIAN CANAL, VENICE]
_VENICE_
_A Typical Venetian Canal_