Connecting the Ducal Palace and the prison of the Doges, the Bridge of
Sighs is so called because convicts headed to incarceration would have gotten
their last glimpse of Venice while crossing the passageway.
For the past three years, Venetians and those who love the Lagoon city
have been sighing with similar sadness: not only has their view of the
legendary bridge been blocked by construction work but giant-sized billboards
covered the scene, a source of revenue to help pay for the work. The ad wraps
are finally gone. On November 30, the project, begun in 2008, was completed.
‘It has returned to the city,’ Venice mayor Giorgio
Orsoni said of the city’s famed bridge.
