It is one of the most famous of Italy's sights but the footsteps of the 20 million tourists who tramp through Venice each year have taken a heavy toll on the 400-year-old Rialto Bridge.
Salvation is now at hand for the crumbling structure, with the Italian founder of the Diesel clothing brand reportedly agreeing to restore the 16th century bridge.
The sponsorship deal is expected to be announced in the next few days, according to Corriere della Sera newspaper.
The offer by Renzo Rosso, 55, comes a few months after a millionaire shoe tycoon, Diego Della Valle, signed an accord to pay for the £22 million pound clean-up of another world famous monument, the Colosseum in Rome, where gladiators once did battle.
Mr Rosso, one of Italy's wealthiest and successful businessmen, was nominated Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young in 1997 and Man of the Year by GQ in 2005.
The Ponte Rialto, which was completed in 1591, is the oldest of four bridges that cross the Grand Canal and is a must-see for any tourist visiting the lagoon city.
But with more than 60,000 visitors descending on Venice every day, it has been reduced to an increasingly fragile state.
A column from the bridge's stone balustrade collapsed earlier this year, and large cracks have appeared in the marble steps on either side.
For decades Venice has benefited from a Special Law under which Rome provided extra funds for the upkeep of its palaces and canals.
But saddled with a massive public debt, representing 120 per cent of GDP, the government of Silvio Berlusconi has reduced the money, forcing Venetian authorities to court private sponsors to make up the shortfall.
Restoration work to a dozen or so key palazzi and churches is now being paid for by companies such as Prada, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and a foundation funded by Francois Pinault, the French luxury goods billionaire and art collector.
"It's good for the companies' images but it's also a civic commitment by people with wealth," said Giorgio Orsoni, the mayor of Venice.
"Needless to say, this sort of patronage benefits Venice, especially when the Special Law no longer helps us much."
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