A recent trend all over Europe has couples affixing padlocks on bridges as a symbol for their ever-lasting love. In Italy this habit was influenced by Federico Moccia’s novel “I want you” which has two young lovers fixing a padlock on the Milvio Bridge in Rome and throwing the key in the Tiber.
This trend quickly spread all over the country: Ponte Vecchio in Florence and the Rialto Bridge in Venice are just two of the many Italian monuments which ended up fully covered by padlocks.
This habit is well known abroad and involve many bridges. Beside, people from all over the world fix their love padlocks on bridges when they are visiting highly romantic cities like Paris or Venice. Just like the young and lovely Russian couple that hired me as a wedding photographer to shoot their orthodox wedding in Venice. They even had a lock with their names carved on it and, once the wedding ceremony was over, they locked it on an iron bridge and threw the key on the channel below.
I was delighted to shoot such a nice and passionate scene. Unfortunately I lately heard that some Venetian citizens who did not appreciate the sight of so many locks on the bridges removed about one quintal of locks …let’s hope my clients’ lock is not among them !
What about you? Do you prefer Venetian bridges with or without padlocks?
Have a look at my couple photo portraits in Venice on my website.
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