Venice Bridges – The city of Venice is divided into 116 islands, which divide over 300 canals and is connected by almost 420 bridges. Like the islands, the bridges were built by the inhabitants themselves. The bridges are part of the pride of the city and demonstrate the richness of the Venetian republic. It must be noted, that up to the 12th century, a toll was charged for crossings of bridges. As a result, the townspeople around the city began to transport by boat, and the bridges became one of the unused status symbols of wealthy citizens.
Today, almost all bridges in Venice have fences, whether iron or stone. Due to its elegance, Venetians have in the past built bridges with long stairs and no fences. When, in the second half of the 16th century it was decided that fences on bridges should be added to prevent people from falling into the canals, thus increasing the safety in the city.