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At one end of San Canciano Bridge, perched atop a pillar, hang two small iron hooks (also called "anchors" by locals). According to legend, touching them is believed to bring good luck.
In the past, the location where the hooks reside was the main landing point for boats heading to Murano, Burano, and San Michele Island—the latter being the cemetery. Despite their current auspicious quality, the small anchors have a dark origin: they were the hooks on which the two-quarters of the bodies of quartered criminals, sentenced to be cut into four parts as punishment, were hung for all to see.
Originally, these small anchors were situated at two locations within the city, each hook facing a specific direction as dictated by law. The four parts of the condemned person's body were to be oriented towards the cities of Padua, Mestre, Chioggia, and the Lido, corresponding to the four cardinal points. Additionally, the head of the condemned was prominently displayed in Piazza San Marco, the main square of Venice.
So why would touching the hooks bring good fortune nowadays? Perhaps because those who touch them are lucky to still be alive, and their time to be ferried to the silent San Michele Island has not yet arrived.
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Venetian residents rarely miss to nonchalantly touch one or both hooks when crossing the bridge. See for yourself, and hear their gentle tinkling.
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Published
July 17, 2024
