The Ponte Vecchio is the only Florentine bridge to survive the Second World War intact. On August 4, 1944, as the German army retreated across the Arno, they dynamited every bridge in the city. Ponte Vecchio was spared. Instead, the mines blew up the buildings at both ends, blocking access, but the bridge itself stood. It has stood here since 1345, when Taddeo Gaddi built the current stone arch structure after a flood destroyed the Roman bridge. It is the oldest bridge in Florence and the oldest segmental arch bridge in Europe.
In This Article
The Shops: Butchers to Goldsmiths
The shops on the Ponte Vecchio were originally occupied by butchers, who used the river to dispose of waste. In 1593, Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici, offended by the smell as he walked from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace via the Corridoio Vasariano, ordered that only goldsmiths and jewellers could operate on the bridge. The decree is still in effect. Today, 44 jewellery shops line both sides of the bridge. Each shop is roughly 3 metres wide and 6 metres deep. The rent is the highest per square metre in Florence. The shops are typically open from 9.30am to 7pm, closed on Mondays in winter.
The Corridoio Vasariano: The Medici Secret Passage
Giorgio Vasari built the covered corridor above the shops in 1565 in five months, connecting the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti. The corridor is 1 km long and passes through the church of Santa Felicita on the south side. The Medici family used it to move between palaces without setting foot among the common Florentines. The corridor holds over 1,000 paintings from the Uffizi collection, including 16th and 17th century self-portraits. The corridor was closed for restoration in 2016 and was scheduled to reopen in 2024, though the date has slipped. The corridor offered the best elevated view of the bridge and the river.
The View of the Arno from the Bridge
The Ponte Vecchio has three segmental arches spanning 30 metres each. The central arch is slightly wider, at 32 metres. The balustrades on both sides are lined with lovers’ padlocks, a tradition that began in the 2000s and is now forbidden by the city council, which removes them monthly. The best view of the bridge is from the Ponte Santa Trinita, 200 metres downstream, built in 1569 by Bartolomeo Ammannati and also reconstructed after the war. The sunset view from the Ponte Santa Trinita, with the Ponte Vecchio’s shops lit against the Arno, is the definitive Florentine panorama.
Did you buy something from the jewellers on the bridge or did you just watch the evening light hit the gold through the shop windows?
Looking for more Italian travel inspiration? Check out our other guides to Italy and start planning your next European adventure!
If you have ever visited Florence, you surely haven’t missed one of its distinctive sights – Ponte Vecchio. It is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed by the Nazis during the rout in 1944.
The river Arno flows through Florence and the bridges connect its banks in the narrowest point probably since Etruscan times. In ancient times Florence was situated on an important route the Via Cassia connecting Rome with the main cities of the north. Bridges were the only way to get across the river Arno. However due to flooding they had to be frequently renewed, but did not survive anyway and were torn down by floods completely. The present bridge was built in 1345 and Florentines gave it the name of the Ponte Vecchio, which means “old bridge”. They wanted to distinguish it from another one – Ponte alla Carraio. Although this bridge is much older (built in 1218), they already called it the Ponte Nuovo, the “new bridge”.
Ponte Vecchio was built by an architect Neri di Fioravante, who created an elegant building with three arches. Today, the Ponte Vecchio is also known as “The bridge of jewelers” because on its both sides you can find plenty of shops and boutiques, mostly jewelry. The first shops were open here in the 13th century, but originally there were fish traders, tanners and butchers. The river served them as an excellent dump. Above the second arch, in the middle of the bridge was therefore a small space available, through which they could throw garbage straight into the river. Fortunately this free space does not serve to its original purpose any more, but it allows a nice view of the river and other neighbouring bridges.
In 1593 Grand Duke Ferdinando I. kicked all the existing traders off the bridge and replaced them with jewellers and goldsmiths. About 50 of them settled in wooden shops and thanks to them the bridge got its distinctive character. Above the shops there is a Vasari Corridor which was built in 1564 by order of Grand Duke Cosimo I, who wanted to have sheltered and safe walkway from Palazzo Vecchio square to Palazzo Pitti. In the middle of the bridge you can see a bust of one of the most famous Florentine goldsmith, Benvenuto Cellini (1500 – 1571), created in 1900 by sculptor Raffaello Romanelli.
Ponte Vecchio can boast the title of one of the most famous symbols of Florence or the most beautiful bridge in the world.
Explore More
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like: