Rialto: the market, the square and the bridge

The fish market occupies the covered loggias near the Grand Canal. Come while the counters are trading: the official schedule is Tuesday to Saturday, from 7am to 2pm. Sunday and Monday are the wrong days if the fish is your reason for coming.

Walk along the edge of the stalls rather than standing in front of someone trying to buy. Read a few labels, notice what is sold whole and what has been prepared, then let the next part of the walk put some of those ingredients on a plate.

Across from the small church of San Giacomo, find the crouching stone figure supporting a platform. This is the Gobbo di Rialto. The Republic’s proclamations and sentences were read from here, in the middle of its commercial district. What looks like an eccentric piece of sculpture had a very public job.

The bars around Rialto offer another reason to pause. Cicchetti are small portions eaten with a drink, often at the counter. They vary from one display to the next; look at what is being served before choosing.

Look at Rialto from the bank before joining the people on the steps. One stone arch carries the whole crossing, with rows of shops rising towards the centre. The bridge was designed by Antonio da Ponte in the late sixteenth century, replacing earlier crossings.

Once you climb, notice how much of the bridge is given over to shops. This is a commercial street as well as a way across the canal. The view is worth seeing, but the building beneath your feet explains why the route began at a market.