Rialto Bridge, Italian Ponte di Rialto, stone-arch bridge crossing over the narrowest point of the Grand Canal in the heart of Venice. Built in the closing years of the 16th century, the Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge across the canal and is renowned as an architectural and engineering achievement of the Renaissance.

The Ponte di Rialto is located in the Most Serene Republic of Venice (as is it's historic name) composed of some 100 islands, Venice being the capital with a proud history dating back to 697 A.D..

The Rialto Bridge is the oldest and was the only connection between the two banks of the Grand Canal. The origins of the Rialto Bridge It seems that already in 1182 a boat bridge was built there by Nicolò Baratieri to make the market more accessible.

The arched Rialto Bridge, or Ponte di Rialto, is central to the history of Venice and is now one of the most famous bridges in Venice, if not the world, and one of Venice's top attractions. This was the first of only four bridges that today span the Grand Canal: Ponte dell Accademia, rebuilt in 1985 Ponte degli Scalzi, built in 1934

The Rialto Bridge's 7.5-meter (24-foot) arch was designed to allow passage of galleys, and the massive structure was built on some 12,000 wooden pilings that still support the bridge more than 400 years later.

The current Rialto Bridge, a stone arch, was constructed under the supervision of Antonio da Ponte, between 1588 and 1591. The construction was made difficult by the conditions of instability and by the height of the sea bottom.

The Rialto Bridge Café... a friendly neighbourhood café serving coffee, sandwiches and home cooked-style food. We're located near the back of St James's Hospital, just over the bridge which gave Rialto village its name.