Ponte Vecchio & Arno River, Florence

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It’s one of the most beloved and iconic of Florentine treasures and one best seen from anywhere but ON the thing itself. Ponte Vecchio is actually the most recent in a series of spans at this point of the Arno - there has been a bridge here since Roman times - but the 'new kid on the block' is nearly 700 years old and one of very few in existence to retain the essence of its Medieval heritage. Constructed in 1345, its long, low arches required few supporting piers to impede the flow of water underneath, and provided a gentle pitch for pedestrians and carts. And like similar bridges of the European Middles Ages, constant traffic and proximity to a busy river trade and made it a convenient and profitable place to set up shop.

Times being what they were, some of those smelled to high heaven (‘offal’ an applicable pun here) in the heat of summer, and the river also provided a dumping ground for all sorts of unwanted waste so it wasn’t exactly fragrant either. When Giorgio Vasari built a private passageway on top of the shops so the aristocracy could travel between the Medici residence, Palazzo Pitti, and government headquarters in Palazzo Vecchio without mingling with the riffraff, the reigning duke banned the more odiferous trades from the bridge and it became a more dignified mecca for gold and silversmiths.

And so it has endured: a curiously harmonious jumble of cantilevered, green-shuttered buff, gold and melon-colored boxes and graceful arches that’s particularly lovely when reflected in a slow-moving Arno. So lovely, in fact, that it was spared the destruction of every other Florentine bridge during WWII: even the Nazis couldn’t bear to blow it up. As poetic as it appears at a distance, the pedestrian-only span is overrun with tourists a good share of the time and while precious metalware still glitters in the shop windows, price tags are (not surprisingly) inflated. Shutterbugs, get your shots from a distance: Piazzale Michelangelo, certain windows in the Uffizi, or Pontes Santa Trinita or Alle Grazie.

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Our 5th minute was used to cross Ponte Vecchio. As a matter of fact the more that we saw was... heads.

It was not high season, but... It's decided, next visit must be in winter. However, we could see what made it famous - the long line of shops, along its three arches, since 1345. So much time that (it seems), even Hitler refused to destroy it.

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The Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence by virtue that the Germans in WWII did not destroy it, crosses the Arno River near the Uffizi Gallery. Today it is lined with gold jewelry shops and is a popular place for tourists. In the center of the bridge is a bust of artist and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini and is a good place for a photograph and on a clear sunny day you can see the reflections of the buildings in the river.

As you cross the bridge, you can see the Vasari Corridor along the tops of the shops on the left side. This is a private walkway created by Vasari for the Medici family to get from the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi (when they were government office buildings) to their home at the Palazzo Pitti.

The bridge gets rather crowded so watch your belongings and be aware of pickpockets.

In the middle of the bridge is an area that many people have attempted to place love locks on, but the Florentine authorities are no longer allowing these locks of love on the Ponte Vecchio. Be forewarned if you are thinking about doing this with your special someone here in Florence!

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The Ponte Vecchio or "Old Bridge is a Medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River. It is noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. The Ponte Vecchio's two neighbouring bridges are the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte alle Grazie.

Built very close to the Roman crossing, the Old Bridge was until 1218 the only bridge across the Arno in Florence. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side.
Open all of the time, along the pedestrian zone south of Piazza della Repubblica towards Palazzo Pitti.

Perfect for a stroll across the river Arno the 'old bridge' is scattered with over hanging shops like jewellers and art dealers this bridge is a gem which even the Nazis felt was to beautiful to destroy.

A recent tradition has found people locking padlocks at certain points by the bridge and then throwing the key into the river, the lovers are then ment to became eternally bonded.

This bridge is unique to look at from the banks of the Arno River. It's shops jut out of the bridge and are beautifully coloured. It is the oldest arch bridge in Florence and has withstood many floods.

The bridge has souvnir, art and jewellery shops along boths sides. It is quite narrow, and every time I have been on it, it has been rather busy.
Although it is busy in peak season, it is well worth the visit. The jewellery in just the shop windows are beautiful. I was like a magpie drawn to shining and sparkling objects!!! This is not the place for bargin hunting! The shops themselves are old and I loved taking in the structure and facades. It's a great place to feel the buzz and excitement of this tourist attraction.

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The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge over the River Arno and is the oldest surviving bridge in Florence - it has withstood flood and war since 1345. In fact it was the only bridge in Florence to survive Nazi explosives in 1944.

It is unique, as both edges of the bridge are lined with buildings.

Originally these buildings housed butcher shops, but these were eventually closed down as the butchers used to throw unwanted leftovers into the river, polluting it.

It is now lined with jewellery shops, making it not just a Must See Activity, but a chance for some shopping as well!

In the middle of the bridge there is a gap in the shops, enabling you a great view of the river and the buildings on opposite banks.

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The Ponte Vecchio ("Old Bridge" in Italian) dates back to 1345, and it's the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed by the German troops when they retreated in August 1944. It's built practically at street level, so when there are lots of people around you hardly even notice when you start crossing the bridge! What makes Ponte Vecchio so interesting is that it still holds several shops on both sides, just like in the old days. When the bridge was first built, most of the space was occupied by blacksmiths and butcher stalls, but they were eventually replaced by jewellers by order of Ferdinando de Medici. This explains why we still mostly find jewelleries on Ponte Vecchio today instead of the expected souvenir shops. The "Vasari Corridor" runs on one side of the bridge (the left side when looking towards the Oltrarno area); this sheltered hallway was built 1564 to allow the Medici family to walk from the Palazzo Vecchio to their new residence, Palazzo Pitti, located on the other side of the Arno River, without having to mingle with the population. The corridor can be recognized thanks to a series of small, round windows.

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It would be hard to imagine Florence without Ponte Vecchio, but this would have been the case had the Nazis decided to bomb this historic bridge to smithereens during World War II - some say on express orders by the butcher himself, Hitler (another version says the officer tasked to do it disobeyed his orders).

Speaking of butchers, back in the time of the Medicis, the bridge used to house the city's butchers (the real, legitimate ones), who used to throw leftover carcasses to the poor Arno river. In a bold attempt at gentrification, Ferdinand I de Medici ordered the removal of the butchers and in their place, jewellery merchants, which to this days remains the main tenants on the shops lining the bridge.

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The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, has stood over the Arno River since 1345. Designed by Neri di Fioravante, it has seen many changes over the centuries. Shops, cafes, and other businesses line the street. Along the way is a bust of celebrated sculptor Benuvenuto Cellini.