The very first version of what would become the Ponte di Rialto was a pontoon bridge connecting the two shores of the Canal Grande, built around the year 1000. This was replaced by a wooden bridge as more people crossed it to reach the market that had sprung up in the surrounding neighbourhood. Two lines of shops were added to the bridge in the 15th century, with the taxes collected helping towards maintenance and repairs. Still, the wooden bridge collapsed in the second half of that century, prompting discussions about a more solid stone bridge. Construction actually started in 1588, following the design of the architect Antonio Da Ponte, who suggested that the new bridge only have one arch, something that the Doge and his advisors at the time very much liked. The Ponte di Rialto we still see today was completed in 1591, making it the oldest of the four bridges that cross the Canal Grande, with the other three being the Ponte dell’Accademia, the Ponte degli Scalzi and the Ponte della Costituzione.