Venice:
Decoding Ponte Borgoloco
You may be forgiven for thinking that the decorative ironwork of the parapets of Ponte Borgoloco, which lies near Campo Santa Maria Formosa, depicts a series of hearts. However, you would be wrong!
Each section of the ironwork actually depicts three letter Vs rather than three hearts. The Vs stand for ViVa Vittorio; while the letter E, at the bottom right, stands for Emanuele. Viva Vittorio Emanuele (Long live Victor Emmanuel) is a reference to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy, who reigned from 1861 until 1878. Venice did not become part of the Kingdom of Italy until 1866. |