Venice Rialto Bridge balustrade restoration to begin Aug. 4

The marble balustrade at the Riva del Buso foot of Venice’s Rialto Bridge, damaged by a stolen cargo barge that collided with the structure on 11 December 2025, will enter its final restoration phase on 4 August 2026. Mayor Simone Venturini said the work, carried out by the municipality in cooperation with the Soprintendenza per i Beni Culturali di Venezia and the specialist firm Lithos, will restore the balustrade’s integrity and safety.

The incident caused a partial collapse, breaking numerous columns, pilasters and balusters. After an initial safety operation, the fragments were recovered, catalogued and taken to Lithos’s laboratory for cleaning, desalination, re‑assembly and replacement of missing parts with hand‑crafted Istrian stone inserts. Stainless‑steel internal reinforcements have been installed on the most damaged section overlooking the Grand Canal. The project is scheduled for completion in the first half of September 2026.