Ponte Vecchio in Florence

226. Ponte Vecchio in Florence

10/19/2017

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy. Photo © Maria Novozhilova

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You’ve definitely heard of it. Perhaps you even saw it in some movies. And certainly you won’t miss it when you will go to Florence. Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is among Firenze’s top sights and the pride of the city. It is an architectural prototype difficult to find elsewhere in the world today. It is a medieval stone bridge still preserving its original characteristic: real buildings with shops along it. Once it was a common practice, but nowadays it appears as a fantastic idea taken from a fairy tale.

Nevertheless it has always been under the danger of destruction given by frequent floods and excessive weights of the located on it buildings, Ponte Vecchio is an ancient artefact. It is said that the very first original structure was erected to bridge the Arno river back in Roman times. Back then the bridge was built in the river’s narrowest point. However, being more precise, something that resembles today’s architecture of Ponte Vecchio was constructed much later, in the tenth century. Since then, constant updates, reconstructions and repairs have hardened the bridge, consolidating its collage-like aesthetics and the iconic value of Florence’s symbol.

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy. Photo © Maria Novozhilova

Shopping (or just “window shopping”) along Ponte Vecchio today is an incredible experience. Besides art, jewelers and, of course, souvenirs, you will find there spectacular views on the city, Il Corridoio Del Vasari, the gallery built in 1565 and bringing you right to the entrance of the Uffizi Gallery, as well as the access to Via Borgo S. Jacopo and Via di Santo Spirito, my favorite gastronomic streets of Florence full of authentic and tiny romantic restaurants inviting you to spend a romantic night.