The bridge you see is called Ponte delle Ostreghe, the Bridge of Oysters. This is where fishermen would moor their boats at dawn after a night of oyster-fishing and sell them to locals, who would come in their hundreds every day. With Venice’s growing power and wealth in the 13th century, Venetians became accustomed to the best things in life, food being at the top of that list, and oysters were as treasured then as they are today. Venetians have always been famous for enjoying good food and paying good money for it. So much so that in the early 1300s the Venetian state decided to impose moderation on food consumption throughout the city; to the point that in 1460 a law was passed which declared that no more than half a ducat should be paid per person attending a banquet. Of course, Venetians were as keen on implementing laws as they were in breaking them.
