Ponte Vecchio, “old bridge” in Italian, is a stone bridge over Arno River. First built in 996, destroyed by a flood in 1117, reconstructed but destroyed again in 1333, it was rebuilt again in 1345. The bridge had always been housing shops. Until 1400s, there were butchers and fish mongers doing business on the bridge, they were evicted later in order to make the bridge cleaner and more refined. Gold merchants moved in.
The Medici built Vasari’s Corridor above Ponte Vecchio. The Vasari’s Corridor is a covered passageway connecting Uffizi with Palazzo Pitti, formerly the Medici’s residence. The corridor was the private passage for the Medici family members to go home after work without mingling with commoners.
We followed this way along Arno River to reach Ponte Vecchio.
The close-up of Ponte Vecchio. There is no doubt the old bridge has significant meaning in history and the Florentines’ lives. But its external beauty is debatable.
There are plenty of shops on Ponte Vecchio. Most of them are jewelry sellers, art dealers, and souvenir shops.
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