Ponte degli Scalzi — Attraction in Venice

A first bridge was built in 1858 by the English engineer Alfred Neville under Habsburg domination, to improve access to the recently built railway station. It was a cast iron bridge with a rectilinear structure, very similar to the one erected a few years earlier by Neville himself at the Academy. The limited height (4 metres) prevented the passage of masted boats and the admittedly "industrial" style did not fit aesthetically well with the surrounding structures. Furthermore, after a few years the cast iron began to show signs of structural failure in some points, so the Municipality of Venice was forced in the early 1930s to make a rapid decision regarding its replacement. The construction of the stone bridge in front of the Venice train station is closely linked to those of the station itself and of Piazzale Roma. The hypothesis of a new bridge which, crossing the Grand Canal in the place where the Constitution bridge stands today, would connect the railway terminal with the car terminal, however, quickly faded in the face of the intricate situation of the project for the station, for which they envisaged very long times and therefore an equally prolonged period of unuse of the bridge itself. Without changing the existing situation, Eugenio Miozzi then proposed a project to be built in place of the nineteenth-century iron bridge that stood in front of the Scalzi church. The metal bridge was therefore replaced by a new single-arch bridge made entirely of Istrian stone, designed by the engineer Eugenio Miozzi (1889-1979). Construction work began on May 4, 1932, and the bridge was inaugurated just two years later, on October 28, 1934. Built in Istrian stone ashlars without the use of armour, reinforced concrete or iron parts, the bridge was built with the use of a special metal rib and applying the so-called "systematic cracks" method. The parapet, internally hollow and openable, contains the pipes. Miozzi's attention to inserting the new bridge in the urban context of Venice is evidenced by the engraving commissioned by the same architect in 1952, in which the bridge is inserted in a clear...

The elegant Ponte degli Scalzi is one of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal. The bridge connects the sestiere Santa Croce and Cannaregio, in which just across from the north is the Chiesa degli Scalzi and a little further the Santa Lucia train station. The inauguration of the Santa Lucia train station, which replaced the church of the same name, and the related railway bridge marked an epochal turning point for the lagoon city, for the first time really linked to the mainland. Furthermore, on February 11, 1846, the need for a quick connection was born between the sestieri of Santa Croce and Cannaregio, whose fastest route at the time necessarily had to pass through the Rialto bridge. Thus was born the idea to build a bridge across from the train station. The first bridge on the same site was built in 1858 according to a design by the Austrian engineer Alfred Neville during the Habsburg rule over Venice. It was a cast-iron bridge, of simple construction, very similar to the bridge at the Academy that had just been built by the same Neville. Its small height (4 m) made it impossible for ships to pass, and its industrial appearance differed sharply from its surroundings, so the city administration decided to replace it in the early 1930s. The project was entrusted, a cruel twist of fate, to the same engineer in charge of replacing the Accademia bridge, Eugenio Giuseppe Francesco Miozzi. The works began on May 4, 1932 and ended on October 28, 1934, without ever hindering maritime traffic. From an architectural point of view, the bridge was put in place without the use of reinforcement, reinforced concrete or iron parts. To anyone who doubted that the only material used was Istrian stone from the Vrsar quarry, Miozzi proudly replied "it has no armature, neither in reinforced concrete, nor in iron, nor in bronze, he has no mysterious evil". The name? It is due to the proximity to the church of Santa Maria di Nazareth, where the barefoot Carmelite order officiated Mass for three...

The Ponte della Libertà may bring you into Venice, but the Ponte degli Scalzi is the first true Venetian bridge you’ll encounter upon arrival by train. Completed in 1934, this elegant stone arch spans the Grand Canal, gracefully linking the historic districts of Santa Croce and Cannaregio. Unlike the older, more ornate bridges of Venice, the Ponte degli Scalzi boasts a streamlined yet timeless design, a testament to early 20th-century engineering seamlessly blending with the city’s ancient beauty.

Stepping out of Santa Lucia Railway Station, the bridge immediately captures your gaze, its gentle curve rising above the canal’s shimmering waters. From its peak, you’re greeted with a breathtaking panorama—gondolas gliding beneath, historic facades lining the canal, and the golden light of Venice reflecting off the water. Despite its relative modernity, the Ponte degli Scalzi remains an essential part of the Venetian experience, offering both a practical crossing and a moment to pause and absorb the city’s unique atmosphere. Whether you’re arriving for the first time or returning to a beloved destination, this bridge serves as a gateway to the magic of Venice, where every step forward feels like stepping...