▁re building ▁of ▁the ▁Du cal ▁Palace ▁that ▁was ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁by ▁fire ▁in ▁ 1 5 7 4 . ▁After ▁the ▁original ▁wooden ▁structure ▁of ▁the ▁R ial to ▁Bridge ▁had ▁col lapsed ▁repeatedly , ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁that ▁a ▁stone ▁bridge ▁was ▁necessary . ▁Between ▁ 1 5 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 5 9 1 ▁da ▁P onte ▁re built ▁the ▁R ial to ▁Bridge ▁ ▁to ▁a ▁design ▁to ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁contributed . ▁ ▁The ▁design ▁was ▁selected ▁in ▁a ▁contest ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁local ▁authorities ▁under ▁Dog e ▁of ▁Ven ice ▁Pas qu ale ▁Cic og na . ▁Though ▁Da ▁P onte ▁is ▁relatively ▁unknown ▁otherwise , ▁the ▁design ▁for ▁the ▁Ven ice ▁land mark ▁defeated ▁subm issions ▁by ▁noted ▁architect s ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁including ▁Michel ang elo . ▁Pl ans ▁were ▁offered ▁by ▁famous ▁architect s ▁such ▁as ▁Jac opo ▁Sans ov ino , ▁Andrea ▁P all ad io ▁and ▁Gia como ▁Bar oz zi ▁da ▁V ign ola , ▁but ▁all ▁involved ▁a ▁Class ical ▁approach ▁with ▁several ▁arch es , ▁which ▁was ▁jud ged ▁in app ropri ate ▁to ▁the ▁situation . ▁ ▁The ▁engineering ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁throws ▁considerable ▁weight ▁on ▁its ▁found ations . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁considered ▁so ▁a uda cious ▁that ▁architect ▁V inc en zo ▁Sc am oz zi ▁predicted ▁future ▁ru in . ▁However ▁the ▁bridge ▁has ▁def ied ▁its ▁critics ▁to ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁architect ural ▁icons ▁of ▁Ven ice . ▁ ▁In