THE PONTEVECCHIO An icon of... by SirRichard
THE PONTEVECCHIOAn icon of Florence, the Pontevecchio is world famous for its jeweler shops (once upon a time there were butchers shops, but the Medici evicted them all in 1593). It was built to replace a 14th century wooden bridge that was destroyed by flooding, and was the only bridge that was not mined when the Nazis retreated in 1944 - they destroyed the streets on either side instead. The corridor running over the top of the shops was built by Vasari to link the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo Vecchio.
