Pulteney Bridge in Bath
- Pulteney Bridge in Bath
- Photo LGB
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It is inspired by existing Italian bridges bearing shops (the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and the Rialto in Venice) but its architecture is borrowed from an imaginary Venetian bridge, the rejected design proposed by Palladio for the Rialto, which remained unbuilt in Venice but which was to give rise to numerous " Palladian bridges» in England, one of them being in the grounds of Prior Park, Ralph Allen’s house overlooking Bath. Its central motif is a Venetian window.
It was used by Turner as an example of perspective.
Pluteney Bridge was built by Robert Adam in 1771-73 to link the centre of Bath to the Pulteney development undertaken on the other bank of the Avon by William Pulteney on his lands.
- Venetian window
- The Venetian window above the middle arch (a central arched window between two rectangular windows separated by columns).
Photo LGB
[click on the picture to enlarge it]
- Pulteney Bridge
- [click on the picture to enlarge it]
- Pulteney Bridge view by Cozens
- He also made views of The Circus, and of The Parades.
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A Palladian source for Pulteney Bridge in Bath
Pulteney Bridge is one of the examples of the Palladian current in architecture.
A similar design was used by Chambers for the Thames façade of Somerset House.
A Palladian bridge is to be found near Bath at Prior Park.
- Pulteney Bridge
- Pulteney Bridge by Tomas Howell (Bath Preservation Trust).
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- Pulteney Bridge
- Design for a bridge from I Quattro libri dell’architettura di Andrea Palladio
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