Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence. A crossing already stood on this spot in Roman times, but after the devastating flood of 1333 swept it away, the present bridge was rebuilt in 1345, in a project traditionally attributed to the architect Taddeo Gaddi. Back then, it looked very different from the bridge you see today. Its shops were occupied by butchers and offal sellers, who simply threw their waste straight into the Arno! That changed at the end of the 16th century, when Grand Duke Ferdinand I ordered that only jewelers and goldsmiths be allowed to trade here, fed up with the smell of meat drifting up to the Vasari Corridor. Built directly above the shops in 1565, this private passageway allowed the powerful Medici family to cross the Arno safely and discreetly. Ponte Vecchio has also survived against the odds. In 1944, it was the only bridge in Florence to escape destruction when the retreating German army blew up the city's other bridges. And although it survived the war, it was badly damaged by the devastating flood of 1966. Today, with its famous little shops perched above the water, Ponte Vecchio remains one of the most magical and unmissable sights in the Tuscan capital.