Yes, really, I'm STILL standing on the Ponte dei Conzafelzi!

I've been a bit obsessed by the Ponte dei Conzafelzi this week, as you'll know if you've already read my two previous posts:

• On a bridge like this (Diego Valeri)
• Still standing on the Ponte dei Conzafelzi

And still, I'm standing here on the bridge, drinking in Venice, gulping in the sight of the canals, the bridges, the light, the colours, the brick, the quiet, the history, the many ancient and modern and contemporary lives that have passed to and fro, over this bridge, under the bridge, built, lived in and animated the houses around me.

I stand on the bridge, I look down this canal and I take in the sight of the sun sparkling on the water, of the proud red and yellow of the Venetian flag flapping lazily in the breeze and I'm so happy that I've had the opportunity in life to fall in love with Venice.

Still standing on the Ponte dei Conzafelzi

As I stood on the Ponte dei Conzafelzi (see my previous post here), I remembered reading Paolo Barbaro's advice about seeing Venice in Venice Revealed:

"...the most important skill of all is that of standing still.  You have to be still in order to see - to be able to see and thus to participate, understand, absorb and retell the city's tales".

And so I did.  

I enjoyed the site of Palazzo Tetta, which stands at the junction of Rio di San Giovanni Laterano and Rio de la Tetta.  

Standing on Ponte dei Conzafelzi looking at Palazzo Tetta

I looked down at the railing of the iron bridge, noticing the foundry's name stamped in bold letters:

The Ponte Conzfelzi was cast by Fonderia Collalto in the late 19th century

I looked up to take in the name of the bridge and the nearby fondamenta, labelled on Venice's characteristic nizioletti:

I looked the detail of the iron bridge, including this handsome lion head:

And I simply enjoyed the sheer crazy, wonderful pleasure of actually being back in Venice again and enjoying the sunny morning.  

Looking at these photos today brings back that sense of pleasure and love I feel for Venice.  

Buon weekend!

On the bridge like this (Diego Valeri)

I've been thinking about Diego Valeri's wonderful poem about a bridge...and wondering if he had a particular bridge in mind when he wrote the poem?

Here is a photo of the elegant iron bridge, the Ponte dei Conzafelzi, over the Rio della Tetta near the Palazzo Tetta in Castello.  It was built in 1852 by the Collalto foundry at Mestre. 

I'd love to know the meaning of the word 'Conzafelzi' - can anyone assist? 

Venetian bridge

On the bridge...like this...by Diego Valeri

E così mi son fermato
ai piedi del ponte.
E così ti sei fermata anche tu
un gradino più su.
Non sapevo ch’era un addio.
L’ho saputo un attimo dopo
sentendo le tue labbra sfiorare le mie.
Era la prima, era l’ultima volta.
Così.

And so I stopped
at the foot of the bridge.
And so you stopped too
a step up.
I did not know that it was a goodbye.
I knew a moment later
feeling your lips touch mine.
It was the first, it was the last time.
Just like that.