Photos

This small arch bridge is was named and modeled after the original "Bridge of Sighs" in Venice, Italy. The purpose of the bridge was similar to the Italian one as well -- it connected the Courthouse to the former County Jail. Those convicted of crimes in court were taken across the bridge to begin their imprisonment, and prisoners were imagined to sigh when in the process of losing their freedom.

The Courthouse and Jail are historic buildings designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and constructed in the 1880s. The Jail is no longer used as a jail but has been converted to additional courtrooms and adminstrative space for the court system.

In the background are two of Pittsburgh's skyscrapers. The dark one on the right is the U.S. Steel Building, where I work.