Description

Ponte Vecchio is a Medieval bridge over the Arno River, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. The present tenants are jewelers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.

The place has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises.The back shops (retrobotteghe) were added in the seventeenth century. The characteristic overhanging shops have lined the bridge since at least the 12th century.

In the 16th century, it was home to butchers until Cosimo I moved into the Palazzo Pitti across the river. He couldn't stand the stench as he crossed the bridge every day, so he moved away the meat cutters and moved in the sellers of gold and silver, the tradesmen who occupy the bridge to this day.

You can only imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago as traders sold their goods and lived above the bridge shops.

Looking out over the river when you get to the center of the bridge is an outstanding view. Even better is the view from the sides of the bridge where you are able to take closeup pictures of the entire bridge.

This is one of the main attractions in Florence, so don't miss it!! It's just fun to walk around, even though you can't afford most of the things. The sounds, the sights, the feel of the city is extraordinary.

We suggest to visit the Ponte vecchio at dusk or after dinner. It is such a great place where to eat a gelato or spend a romantic evening overlooking the rest of Florence illuminated in a lovely way.

Florentines are used to recount the story of how in 1944 Hitler's retreating troops destroyed all the bridges crossing the Arno, with the exception of the Ponte Vecchio. The Nazi in charge of the retreat felt that the Ponte Vecchio was simply too beautiful to blow up and countermanded his orders.

Instead, the fleeing German troops bombed both bridgeheads and the surrounding buildings, to block the way across and slow the Allied advance. What a wondeful and incredible story!