Lost in the Strada Nova’s energetic atmosphere lies a bridge with a hidden past. This is the Ponte de l’Anconeta. Today it is a seemingly ordinary bridge but it stands on a site rich with Venetian history.
The Ponte de l’Anconeta is located on the Rio di San Marcuola canal. It connects Calle Rio Terà de la Maddalena. The bridge’s story involves more than just its stones and arches.
Let’s journey back to a time when this area looked very different. Imagine two bridges instead of one. The Due Ponti or Two Bridges was once a famous landmark here. The Rio di San Leonardo flowed into another canal creating a three-way intersection. A unique double V-shaped bridge connected all sides. This unusual design gave the spot its distinctive name.
Nearby stood the Oratorio de l’Anconeta. This small oratory or chapel held a sacred icon. The name “Anconeta” comes from the Greek word for icon. Young devotees of the Virgin Mary founded it. They initially placed the icon in a church. Disputes led them to build their own oratory for it.
In 1623 a generous donation allowed the oratory’s complete reconstruction. More donations followed. By the 1700s the oratory had marble altars and a collection of paintings.
The early 1800s brought big changes. In 1818 the Rio di San Leonardo and Rio del Cristo were buried. The Due Ponti vanished. The remaining part of the canal became the Rio Morto or dead canal.
Like many religious institutions the Oratorio de l’Anconeta was suppressed in 1806. Its artworks were sold. The building stood abandoned. In 1855 the Strada Nova project arrived. Three blocks of houses were demolished including the oratory.
Today few traces of the Due Ponti or the Oratorio de l’Anconeta remain. The area is now an open crossroads. The narrow Calle del Pistor is wider. The Campiello dell’Anconetta is simply a road continuation.
A stone in the pavement once marked the oratory’s location but the inscription is unreadable now. The name Anconeta remains. However its original meaning is almost forgotten.
So as you cross the Ponte de l’Anconeta remember its hidden history. It is a story of double bridges a sacred icon and a changing Venice. The Ponte de l’Anconeta is more than just a crossing. It is a reminder of Venice’s layered past.