Ponte dei pugni

PONTE DEI PUGNI

Ponte dei Pugni is a bridge in the Dorsoduro district of Venice, near Campo San Barnaba. At first glance it looks like a normal bridge—but it has a very unusual history.

Its name says it all: “dei Pugni” (“of fists”) comes from the fact that, centuries ago, people actually fought there. It was the site of the so-called “wars of fists,” clashes between two rival groups in the city: the Castellani and the Nicolotti.

These “battles” were almost a tradition: the two sides would meet on the bridge and try to push each other into the canal using shoves and punches. Since bridges at the time had no railings, it was easy to fall into the water.

The fights were quite organized: participants started from specific positions (still marked on the bridge today by stone footprints), and then the situation would quickly turn into a general brawl.

For a while, these clashes were tolerated—almost as a kind of outlet for the population—but over time they became too violent. After a particularly serious fight in 1705, they were permanently banned.

The bridge we see today was rebuilt in the 19th century and now has railings, so of course these fights no longer take place.