The Ponte dei Tre Archi (Three Arch Bridge) crosses the Cannaregio Canal, in the homonymous sestiere. It is characterized by its three arches, two small lateral ones and a larger central one.
Today it is the only remaining example of a Venetian bridge with three arches. Its former name was San Giobbe Bridge, which it takes from the nearby church of San Giobbe.
Initially, the Ponte dei Tre Archi was built of wood and was a drawbridge to allow the passage of ships with a mast, as was the case with the Rialto Bridge or the Spiers Bridge. In 1503 it was built in stone and in 1668 it was renovated with three arches, according to the project of the Venetian architect Andrea Tirali (1657-1737), who copied it from the San Lorenzo bridge in Castello (later demolished and made into a single arch), as seen in Jacopo de'Barbari's panoramic view of Venice from 1500 or in the painting The Miracle of the Cross Falling into the Canal of San Lorenzo by Gentile Bellini exhibited in the Gallerie dell'Accademia.
Like all Venetian bridges, it lacked railings and in 1794 the side parapets were raised. It has had two restorations, one in 1895 and another in 1981 as attested by the inscriptions placed on the sides of the bridge.
Ponte dei Tre Archi Map
