It is rather startling to consider that Venice, which by the end of the 12th century had already produced its first version of Palazzo Ducale and most of Basilica di San Marco, didn't build a permanent stone bridge across the Grand Canal until the late 1500s. It was not as if there hadn't been a need: earlier there had been an inconvenient toll bridge, replaced in the 13th century by a rickety wooden bridge (which collapsed twice). In the 15th century a larger bridge was built, this time with shops and an open central corridor, but a century later it had deteriorated so badly that the republic finally gave up on wood. The competition to design the Grand Canal's first stone bridge attracted the best architects, including Michelangelo, Palladio, and Sansovino, but the job went to the appropriately named Antonio da Ponte. His pragmatic design featured shop space and was high enough for galleys to pass beneath; it kept decoration and cost to a minimum at a time when the republic's coffers were low due to continual wars against the Turks and the opening of oceanic trade routes. A single arcade, more than 91 feet in length, supports two rows of shops selling jewelry, leather, lace tablecloths, and souvenirs, with windows that open onto the central passage. Along the railing you'll find one of the city's most famous views: the Grand Canal vibrant with gondola and motorboat traffic.