New bridge in Venice

Scheduled to open in September ’08 in Venice, Italy, after nine years of delay, the Calatrava Bridge — a modern, contemporary structure of iron, glass and marble — links the Santa Lucia train station with Piazzale Roma.

The 308-foot-long pedestrian expanse is only the fourth bridge to cross the Grand Canal, thus is also referred to as Quarto Ponte sul Canal Grande. The original price tag of €4 million rose to more than €6.5 million ($10 million), due to delays, controversies and politics. The structure was assembled piece by piece, with some parts being ferried to the site during low tide so they could pass under the three other bridges that span the Grand Canal.

Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has designed 29 projects in 13 countries. The Olympic sports complex in Athens, Greece, and the Turning Torso skyscraper in Malmö, Sweden, are two of his better-known projects.

In Venice, he deviated from his usual expanded array of cable networks and steeples, choosing a low-key version of tempered glass, Istrian stone and gleaming bronze. The modern design is a departure from the city’s rich medieval and Renaissance architecture. Intended to “bridge” the old traditions of the city with modern forms, the structure uses local Istrian stone to smooth the transition.

From Venice’s Marco Polo Airport, Cynthia and I, in May ’08, took an ACTV bus directly to Piazzale Roma, located a short walk from the base of the Calatrava Bridge. It was 98% complete at that time, and had it been open it would have taken us only five minutes to cross the Grand Canal and reach our hotel.

We weren’t familiar with the water taxi schedule or process and thought going on foot would be cheaper, more interesting and challenging. The walk took us 25 minutes and we crossed two bridges, the Rio Nuevo and Ponte Scalzi. All the bridges that cross the canal are arched and have steps, which can be a real challenge to a traveler with lots of luggage.

Hotel Santa Lucia (358 Calle de la Misericordia, Venice, Italy 30121; phone 39 041 710180, fax 710610, www.hotelslucia.com), located down a quiet alley, is a peaceful, family-owned hotel offering a retreat from Venice’s peppy nightlife. We found it to be clean, charming, cheerful and friendly.

We paid €115 (near $170) per night for a room with two beds and a private bathroom. A tasty Italian breakfast was included in the price.

When it was time to leave Venice, we had only a 5-minute walk to the Santa Lucia train station.

TOM ELLERBE

Aliso Viejo, CA