November 20, 1854
One of the first bridges to be built in the Italian city of Venice was opened to the public. This steel bridge for pedestrians spanned the Grand Canal, which is the main canal crossing Venice’s historic center.
While there had been discussions about constructing a bridge in this vicinity as far back as 1488, actual work on such a crossing did not begin until the early 1850s. This bridge was designed by engineer Alfred E. Neville.
The bridge was initially called Ponte della Carità after the Church of Santa Maria della Carità and other buildings within that same complex. After these buildings fell into disuse and were taken over by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia (a public tertiary academy), the bridge became known instead as the Ponte dell’Accademia.
This original version of Ponte dell’Accademia remained in service for nearly eight decades. After extensive corrosion and deterioration made this bridge structurally unsound, it was replaced with what was supposed to be only a temporary wooden bridge.
This new bridge was designed by engineer Eugenio Miozzi and opened on February 15, 1933. At the time, it was the largest wooden arch bridge in all of Europe. This structure underwent major renovations during the mid-1980s with a design jointly created by a group that included engineer Giulio Ballio.
Further restoration work on this version of Ponte dell’Accademia was designed by engineer Antonio Pantuso and initiated in 2017. The bridge was formally reopened on August 28 of the following year.
Image Credit: Public Domain
Additional information on the different versions of Ponte dell’Accademia is available at https://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/accademia-bridge.htm and https://www.visit-venice-italy.com/bridges-venice/accademia-bridge-venice-italy.html
Transportation History 