RIALTO BRIDGE

crossing over the narrowest point of the Grand Canal in the heart of Venice, built in the closing years of the 16th century, renowned as an architectural and engineering achievement of the Renaissance. It was designed and built following a design competition by Antonio da Ponte and his nephew, Antonio Contino. A single stone-arch span supports a broad, rectangular deck carrying two arcades of shops fronting on three roadways. The lower chord of the bridge is only 83 feet (25 m), while the width is 66 feet (20 m).