Climb onto Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio, literally the "old bridge" is the oldest bridge in Florence crossing the Arno River



Built in 1345 by Neri di Fioravante (or by Taddeo Gaddi, according to Vaari), at the river Arno's narrowest neck, over three arches so solidly built that they have outlasted many centuries, unlike the earlier arches which collapsed during floods.

Above the bridge, you will find the corridor which The Medicis used to walk to cross over the bridge from their palace to their offices (Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria) so as not to mix with the commoners.
Check Bflygal Trails: Visit florence Piazza della Signoria

The new bridge was quickly lined with shops and ateliers, first made of wood and later built in masonry. Until the end of the 16th c., these shops belonged mostly to blacksmiths, butchers, tanners and herbalists. The grand duke Ferdinando I had these shopkeepers replaced with shops run by goldsmiths and silversmiths.

From that time on, the image of this bridge has been inextricably bound up with the "madielle" (little display windows with distinctive shuttered hatches) densely packed with objects made of gold.

At the center of the bridge is a small plaza, free of shops, from which one can enjoy a lovely view of the river, in both directions.

The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge not destroyed by the Germans in their retreat from Florence in August in 1944.

Oh and it was here that I learn the real reason for all these locks on the bridge...

Credits: Pwnstar
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