Rialto bridge – the first and most ancient bridge, built at the narrowest point of the Grand canal in Venice. The first pontoon bridge built in 1181, the year and was called the Ponte della Moneta, probably due to the mint, which was located nearby. In 1255, the year on its place was built a wooden bridge, which had two inclined ramps and could divorce during the passage of vessels. In those same years, the new bridge received a new name – Rialto – in the name of a local market. In the first half of the 15th century the bridge was built of two rows of shops whose owners paid the tax to the state Treasury, which, in turn, allocated money for the Rialto. And the contents of the wooden bridge required considerable resources. In 1444, the year of Ponte di Rialto collapsed under the weight of the crowd gathered on the bridge to watch the parade.

The idea of the construction of the stone bridge came in 1503, the year, but only half a century later, at the initiative of the Doge Pasquale Cicogna she began to be realized. It was planned that under the arcades of the new facilities can accommodate retail shops. Interestingly, their projects bridge was represented by such famous architects as Michelangelo, Palladio, Vignola and Sansovino, but won the competition Antonio de Ponte (fun fact – the name of the architect with the Italian language means "the bridge"). The construction of the stone Ponte di Rialto lasted from 1588 to 1591, the year – in the form he had survived. By the way, until 1854, the year the bridge was the only one thrown across the Grand canal, and today these four bridges.

Today, the Rialto is one of the most famous attractions of Venice. The bridge consists of a single arch with a length of 28 metres and a maximum height of 7. 5 meters. It is supported by 12 thousand piles driven into the bottom of the Venetian lagoon. Inside there is a 24 souvenir shop, which are separated from each other by the two Central arches.