The Bridge of Sighs
Sep 11, 2021, 10:12 AM
Repairs on Fondamenta della Canonica, Venice reimagined by Jeff Dungfelder.
"I decided to use the field recording of repairing a gate near the Bridge of Sighs Fondamenta della Canonica because the bridge is rich with historic meaning. The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) was built in the year 1600 and connects the Doge's Palace to the historic prison across the canal. Prisoners that were tried in Venice were initially held in the underground prison chambers inside the Doge's Palace. As the number of prisoners grew, the prison was expanded to a building across the canal named the New Prison, and the Bridge of Sighs was constructed to shuttle passengers directly from their trial into their cells.
"According to legend, the name of the bridge comes from the sighs of prisoners who crossed the bridge on the way to their prison cells or the execution chamber, catching their last glimpses of Venice through the tiny windows. The arched bridge isn’t open air like many of the bridges in the city, there are just two small rectangular windows with a lattice-like screen. Inside, a stone wall divides the interior into two narrow hallways, so prisoners who were entering and leaving could never cross paths.
"I was interested in the idea of creating sounds from repairing not just the bridge, but in a larger context, reflections of what the prisoners experienced as they saw this last view. Hopefully my piece “The Bridge of Sighs” helps the listener consider for just a few minutes what it might have been like to see such beauty before being imprisoned underground. I do think that sound can reveal a history all of its own if one listens closely enough. Enjoy."
"I decided to use the field recording of repairing a gate near the Bridge of Sighs Fondamenta della Canonica because the bridge is rich with historic meaning. The Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) was built in the year 1600 and connects the Doge's Palace to the historic prison across the canal. Prisoners that were tried in Venice were initially held in the underground prison chambers inside the Doge's Palace. As the number of prisoners grew, the prison was expanded to a building across the canal named the New Prison, and the Bridge of Sighs was constructed to shuttle passengers directly from their trial into their cells.
"According to legend, the name of the bridge comes from the sighs of prisoners who crossed the bridge on the way to their prison cells or the execution chamber, catching their last glimpses of Venice through the tiny windows. The arched bridge isn’t open air like many of the bridges in the city, there are just two small rectangular windows with a lattice-like screen. Inside, a stone wall divides the interior into two narrow hallways, so prisoners who were entering and leaving could never cross paths.
"I was interested in the idea of creating sounds from repairing not just the bridge, but in a larger context, reflections of what the prisoners experienced as they saw this last view. Hopefully my piece “The Bridge of Sighs” helps the listener consider for just a few minutes what it might have been like to see such beauty before being imprisoned underground. I do think that sound can reveal a history all of its own if one listens closely enough. Enjoy."