The Ponte Chiodo, located in Cannaregio, is the only vestige left in Venice of what the city's bridges were like in the past: without railings.
Originally, stone bridges did not have side railings, as seen in the paintings of the great Venetian landscape painters. Only from the 19th century, during the Austrian occupation, were side railings or railings included.
Chiodo is the name of the noble Venetian family who owned the bridge, as it led to their house.
Finding the Chiodo Bridge is not easy, lost as it is in the Cannaregio district, off the beaten track. It is located a short distance from the Scuola Grande della Misericordia, one of the masterpieces of the architect Jacopo Sansovino. The nearest vaporetto stop is Ca' d'Oro, on vaporetto line 1.
Ponte Chiodo Location