Ponte dei Sospiri Ponte de la Canonica a Venezia

Piombi (''The Leads'' in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

) is a former prison in the

Doge's Palace The Doge's Palace ( it, Palazzo Ducale; vec, Pałaso Dogal) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice, the supreme auth ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

. The name of the prison refers to its position directly under the roof of the palace, which was covered with slabs of

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

. In winter, these slabs let the cold pass and they acted as a conductor in the summer heat, imposing harsh conditions for inmates. In 1756,

Giacomo Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...

made a famous escape from the prison. He published the story of his escape in 1787. The Old Prisons inside the Doge's Palace were supplemented by the New Prison, built across the Rio de Palazzo from the palace. The New Prison was connected to the Old Prisons in the Palace by the

Bridge of Sighs The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: ''Ponte dei Sospiri'', vec, Ponte de i Sospiri) is a bridge in Venice, Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone, has windows with stone bars, passes over the Rio di Palazzo, and connects the New Priso ...

References

ItalyGuides.it: Prisons (Doge's Palace)
Defunct prisons in Italy Buildings and structures in Venice Piazza San Marco {{Italy-hist-stub