River under the bridges of florence. The ponte vecchio bridge in florence - the most photogenic bridge
What is the Vecchio Bridge in Florence famous for: a little history and modernity. How Ponte Vecchio managed to survive the devastating floods and why it resembles from afar. Where is the old bridge of Florence, how to get to it on your own from the city center and what to see.
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest and most recognizable bridge in Florence. Not a single tourist avoids it. During its existence, it was repeatedly rebuilt again due to constant floods. Translated from Italian, its name Ponte vecchio means "Old Bridge". Today, guests of the city can see it in its original appearance, since almost nothing has changed here over many centuries.
Excursions in Florence and surroundings
The most interesting excursions in the capital of Tuscany are routes from local residents. We recommend starting with a sightseeing tour (Ponte Vecchio in the program). And then choose a program with a twist - even a gastronomic tour, even an off-site route, even medieval Florence.
From the history of the Vecchio bridge
The decision to build the Ponte Vecchio at this point on the Arno was no coincidence. Once in its place stood a bridge with wooden superstructures from the Roman era. However, as a result of the flood, it was destroyed, and then rebuilt again from stone. But this did not help to cope with the flow of water. The structure was again demolished by a natural disaster in 1333. According to historians, the work on its restoration was entrusted to Neri di Fioravanti. The construction was completed in 1345. After that, the bridge remained for many centuries a place of lively trade.
It is interesting that during the Second World War, Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed. The rest of the historical buildings in the city were much less fortunate, many of them were badly damaged.
From the middle of the 15th century, butchers' shops from all over Florence were moved here. Their number turned out to be much more than expected, then it was decided to make several additional additions.
Over time, the straight line of buildings running on both sides of the bridge has changed a lot due to various transformations. In 1556, by order of Duke Cosimo I of Medici, the so-called Vasari Corridor, passing over Ponte Vecchio itself. This corridor was named after the architect who worked on its creation. The duke could easily move along it from the Vecchio Palace to the residence on the other side of the Arno - the Pitti Palace.
Despite the fact that the bridge was rebuilt several times, it did not manage to withstand another flood in 1966. A natural disaster struck the city, causing many buildings to be damaged. Of course, everything has been restored and restored for decades, but the city authorities had to bear colossal costs.
Attractions Ponte Vecchio
In the western part of the building there is a bust of the Italian jeweler and artist Benvenuto Cellini. It was created by a sculpture named Rafaello Romanelli, who was born in Florence. The tradition of hanging the so-called "locks of love" on the fences around the statue is popular among city residents and tourists.
* This "cute" habit is followed by unrestrained lovers around the world - in particular, wrought iron gratings suffer from it, the fences of the bridge of lovers in Paris recently collapsed, and local residents often oppose the marginal "tradition".
Entrance to the Vecchio Bridge from the waterfront
Jewelry shop on the bridge (Florence, Italy)
Jewelry as a souvenir (Vecchio Bridge, Florence)
On the very Ponte Vecchio, there are also shops, shops and workshops. You can mainly buy gold products, jewelry and themed souvenirs from Florence (postcards, magnets, ceramic plates, key rings, travel guides).
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to get to that part of Kodidor Vasari, which is located directly above the bridge, since it is closed to outsiders. The main reason is the unsatisfactory state of the structure, which, although not on the verge of collapse, is still not adapted to the tourist load. Perhaps the authorities will attend to this problem and solve the problem with access, because the multi-story superstructure above Ponte Vecchio invariably raises questions and raises the hearts of travelers. Everyone dreams of going through "dear Medici" from the Vecchio Palace to the Pitti!
Where is it and how to get there
Florence's old bridge is located between Via Calimala on one side of the river and Via d'Guicciardini - another. The bus stop closest to the Vecchio Bridge is called Ponte Vecchio. To get to it, you need to take route C3 or D.
But the easiest is to walk, Ponte Vecchio is just a few steps from Piazzale degli uffizi, that is, from the central, which is rarely ignored in Florence.
Ponte Vecchio on Florence map
Vecchio Bridge (Florence) located at: Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI
This bridge is considered the oldest in all of Florence, and yet it is unlike any other bridge in Italy. The arch bridge, spanning the narrowest point of the Arno River, has retained its almost pristine appearance to this day since its construction in 1345.
Sights history
The current Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence today spans the Arno River and is a subject of keen interest among tourists. It represents the third river crossing built in this place in Italy.
The first viaduct was built in the era of Ancient Rome... It was made of wood and stood on stone pylons. After much outlived its builders, the ferry was destroyed in 1117 by a severe flood. The second bridge, built taking into account previous construction mistakes, lasted almost two centuries, but it suffered the same fate as the first - the strongest Arno flood in 1333 destroyed Ponte Vecchio almost to the ground.
During the construction of the third viaduct, the architects had to work hard to finally find a solution in which the crossing would be strong enough to withstand the onslaught of water in the event of a river overflow. By the way, this had to be verified in practice - many centuries later, in 1966, another rise in water flooded both Ponte Vecchio and the Vasari gallery, causing damage to both artisan shops and priceless works of art ...
In the meantime, in the XIV century, Florentine architects were deciding how to combine architectural grace and strength of the structure. By the way, historians are still racking their brains - who owns the authorshipWho is the project architect really? The fact is that, according to some documents, Taddeo Gaddi is called the architect of the building, and later sources claim that the project belongs to Neri di Fioravante.
The name of the bridge is translated from Italian as "Old Bridge".
Ponte Vecchio received its second name - Golden - not at all because it is an architectural value. Since the 16th century, merchants of one or another commodity settled on the bridgehaving received permission from the municipality to build retail shops. And the largest number of these shops belonged to jewelers. To this day, only one store has survived, which began trading since those times - a jewelry store belonging to the Pecchini family.
According to medieval traditions, Ponte Vecchio was divided into 38 sections, on which the trade was conducted. The merchants lived here, on the same sites. Moreover, the area of \u200b\u200bthe store was barely enough to accommodate goods, so the shops were expanded and built on - they literally hung above the water. Today we can see a panorama of the sights and small houses, as if stuck to it on the sides. By the way, shops and shops today have almost the same appearance as in the 16th century.
In the 20th century, during the Second World War, the bridge by a happy accident escaped the fate of being destroyed. In 1938, Adolf Hitler arrived in Florence on a visit. He got acquainted with the main sights of the city, visited, on the Ponte Vecchio bridge - an observation deck was specially built for the arrival of the Fuhrer. A few years later, during the war, during the retreat of German soldiers, many buildings (including historical ones) were blown up, but Ponte Vecchio escaped a similar fate.
According to one version, Hitler was involuntarily admired by the resistance of the Resistance fighters who defended the bridge and the palaces that surrounded it; according to another version, he simply could not forget the amazing panorama of the Arno River from the Ponte Vecchio observation deck ...
Want to know more about the sights of Florence? Get to know the history of the construction of the famous cathedral located in the city!
Florence legends associated with the construction
Residents love to tell stories and legends associated with this attraction. In particular, stories about how and why jewelry shops appeared on the viaduct. There are three historical versions of this fact.
According to the first version, in 1442 a special decree was issued so that all meat and fish traders move to one, strictly defined, place in the city, so that unpleasant smells do not offend the sense of smell of noble gentlemen in palaces.
By order of the city rulers, all fish and butcher shops were now located in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Ponte Vecchio ferry. This continued until, in 1556, by order of the Duke of Tuscan Cosimo Medici, the Vasari Corridor was built, which also connected the Palazzo Pitti.
Every time, passing along the Vasari corridor, the Tuscan ruler frowned and covered his nose - it was not the aristocratic smells of fish and meat that reached him, as well as the smell of spoiled goods that were dumped into the river. His son Ferdinando, who became ruler after his father, was not so tolerant.
During one passage from the Old Palace to the Pitti palazzo, Ferdinando was so angry at the horrific odors that he ordered all butchers and fishmongers to be driven away and others to be opened in the place of their shops. Thus, jewelers' shops appeared on the bridge, which were visited by a more refined audience.
The second version says that the Vasari corridor served not only as a secret passage of the rulers from one palace to another. Standing in a secret corridor directly above the shopping arcade, Ferdinando Medici could hear all the conversations of merchants and their customers through special round windows in the corridor. And these conversations were not always pleasant to the ear of the ruler. Ordinary people did not hesitate to discuss political topics and the personality of the ruler himself. Therefore, the duke ordered to get rid of the commoners, and goldsmiths settled here for double the rent in 1593.
The third version is no less interesting, and it concerns the daughter of Ferdinando Medici. The young princess, passing along the Vasari corridor, became an involuntary listener to all the dialogues on the bridge. And since ordinary people traded and bought there, who were not shy in expressions, the dictionary of the Medici's daughter was greatly replenished - however, with words far from those that were accepted in palaces. Having heard the lexicon of traders from his daughter, Ferdinando, in anger, drove out all the fish and meat traders.
There is also a belief that the word "bankrupt" was born on the Ponte Vecchio bridge... If the merchant did not pay the rent on time and the debts ran up, then the counter (banko), on which he traded, was smashed by the guards sent by the authorities (rotto).
That is, literally the word "bankrupt" or "bankruptcy" means "broken counter" (or bankrupt bank). And if the counter was broken ("bankorotto"), then there was nothing to trade on.
The Arno River in the Ponte Vecchio area is also called the "gold mine", and in the literal sense. The fact is that during the flood in 1966, the water rose by several meters. Almost all the shops were flooded with water. Some of the merchants who arrived here on the calls of the night watchmen were able to save some of their goods. The rest of the shops were flooded, and some of the gold jewelry was washed away by the receding water. Of course, work to find the missing jewelry was carried out in the waters of the Arno for many years, but without much results.
What he is today
There are currently 10 ferries thrown across the Arno, and all of them have been rebuilt and restored (especially after the raids during the Second World War). Everything except the Golden Bridge. The appearance of Ponte Vecchio has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. in 1345. A classic three-arch viaduct, the central arch is 30 meters long, and the two side ones are 27 meters long. The height of the vaults of the Ponte Vecchio is from 3.5 to 4.4 meters.
Ponte Vecchio today is a series of jewelry stores and a small observation deck... This site offers a wonderful panoramic view of the Arno River. Looking at the muddy water of the calm and unhurried river, it is difficult to imagine that this river once carried a direct threat to the city. Photos can be taken from the observation deck. But if you walk from Piazza Senoria along the Arno, you can take an equally gorgeous panoramic shot of the attraction itself - beautiful arches over the water.
The bridge looks especially beautiful at night - lit by many lights, it becomes a meeting place and a landmark for tourists.
The stores offer a wide range of gold and platinum items.
True, tourists stop to look more than to buy - the prices for these products are quite high. For a seemingly inconspicuous ring of gold, you need to pay at least 200 euros.
On the west side of the bridge is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini, Italian musician and sculptor of the Renaissance (bust by Rafaello Romanelli). One of the famous sculptural works of Master Cellini - the statue of Perseus with the severed head of Medusa the Gorgon - is located in Piazza Senoria. The installation and unveiling in 1901 of the statue was timed to coincide with Cellini's 400th anniversary.
Cellini's bust is surrounded by a small metal fence. This site has become a place of pilgrimage for newlyweds and couples in love. - as a sign of the inviolability of love and family ties, each couple hung a lock on the fence. Rumor has it that this idea came from the owner of a castle shop located near the installed bust. Either way, his business is booming. But the authorities of Florence did not like this custom - not only did the castles spoil the aesthetic appearance of the sculpture, so this tradition threatened the bridge itself, causing damage to it.
A story about the unique Florentine Ponte Vecchio bridge. One of the few remaining fully built bridges. But it is unique for other reasons as well.
Ponte Vecchio is one of the main business cards of the wonderful Florence. It is located at the narrowest point of the Arno River and connects the two parts of the legendary Italian city. This bridge is remarkable for several reasons.
The oldest bridge in Florence
It was built by the architect Neri di Fioravanti in 1345 and to this day the bridge has practically not changed its appearance. It survived even during World War II, although all other bridges were blown up. True, the reasons are different. Someone believes that thanks to the Resistance, while others believe that Adolf Hitler himself forbade the destruction of cultural heritage by personal decree. By the way, one of the few modernizations of the bridge is associated with the German dictator. Even before World War II, Mussolini made an observation deck with large rectangular windows on the inside of the Vasari Corridor especially for the arrival of the guest of honor. It was decided to leave these windows, and they have survived to this day.
Author of the photo: Carlo Brogi. The picture was taken before 1925
The last of the Mohicans
Ponte Vecchio gives us an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat city crossings looked like in the late Middle Ages. The fact is that there was not so much free space in the city, and in the megalopolises of that time, bridges were often built up with houses or shops. For example, it was completely built up. More than a hundred different kinds of buildings fit on it. By the way, if you read the novel "Perfumer" or, then it was on the Changer Bridge that Baldini's shop was located, which collapsed into the Seine together with its owner. But at some point, the main bridges in Europe were cleared of buildings, but Ponte Vecchio survived and for more than one hundred years continues to amaze guests of Florence.
Inside the bridge, the secret corridor of Vasari
Numerous tourists walking across the bridge do not always know that there is another path right over their heads to the other side of the river. This is a secret corridor. It was designed by the architect Vasari, after whom the secret passage got its name. Construction began in 1565 at the initiative of Duke Cosimo I, who belonged to the legendary Medici dynasty. The main task of the move is to link the two banks of the river so that the duke can pass unnoticed from the Vecchio Palace to the Pitti residence. Why not just cross the bridge, you think? There are at least three reasons for this:
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For safety
When we talk about Florence and the Medici, we are talking a priori about the struggle for power. And this means that the life of the ruler may depend on the ability to unnoticeably move from one building to another.
For comfort
The bridge is a busy place of commerce. In Cosimo's time, it housed butcher shops. Since the sanitary situation was of little concern, the bridge exuded furious smells of rotten meat and waste. The presence of a separate corridor somewhat eased the situation. By the way, butchers were permanent inhabitants of the bridge until the 16th century, after which they were replaced by jewelry stores and the atmosphere became easier.
For espionage
Since there were always many residents hanging around the butchers' shops, who gave free rein to the language, the Duke of Tuscan used this for banal eavesdropping. According to rumors, the most careless talkers could be imprisoned the very next day.
Homeland of bankruptcy
An interesting story is connected with the bridge. There is a legend that it was here that the term "bankruptcy" originated. This is due to the fact that when the merchant on Ponte Vecchio finally went bankrupt, the city guards came and broke (rotto) his counter (banco). This procedure was called "bancorotto". After a person lost the counter, he could no longer engage in trade. In other words, he was declared bankrupt.
The famous French writer Maurice Druon describes the spirit of this place as follows:
Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio) in Florence over the Arno River in 1345 on the site of an ancient Roman bridge demolished by a flood. Initially, butchers' shops were located here, animal carcasses were butchered on the spot, and the waste was thrown into the river. In general, the smell around was very powerful, especially in the summer heat.
Soon the Old Bridge became a place of bustling city trade. The merchants' shops were located right on the bridge. Presumably, the concept of "bankruptcy" appeared here. If the merchant could not pay the debts, then the city guards broke his shop. So from the two words "counter" (banco) and "broken" (rotto) came the word "bankrupt".
According to legend, Mussolini made the windows in the center of the bridge for Hitler so that the Fuhrer could admire the view of Florence. According to one version, Hitler wanted to blow up the bridge during his retreat, but partisans prevented him.
This is the first bridge in history to use such arches in its construction. The bridge consists of three arches, the length of the central arch is 30 meters, the height is 4.4 meters, the side arches are smaller: length - 27 meters, height - 3.5 meters.
This time the weather was lucky.
Old bridge at the beginning of the XX century
In the 16th century, the ruler of Florence, Duke Cosimo I Medici, drew attention to the area of \u200b\u200bthe Old Bridge; at the will of the duke, rich jewelry shops were located here. The old bridge received the second name "Golden Bridge", the status of which has changed dramatically.
"There is a bridge in Florence called the Old Bridge. It is still built up with houses, these houses housed workshops for gold and silver products.
True, those were not products in the modern sense: dressing of gold and silver things today is a craft; formerly it was art, which is why there was nothing in the world more wonderful than these workshops, or rather the objects that adorned them; there were round onyx goblets girded with writhing dragons - fabulous monsters raised their heads, spread azure wings, strewn with golden stars, and, gaping fire-breathing jaws, looked menacingly at each other with their ruby \u200b\u200beyes ...
And all this was not only skillfully executed, but conceived with poetic inspiration; not only charming, as charming trinkets for decorating a ladies' boudoir, but magnificent, as the greatest works of art that can immortalize the reign of a king or the spirit of a nation ... "- this is how Alexander Dumas described the Old Bridge in his novel Ascanio.
Duke Cosimo I Medici, who made the Old Bridge Golden.
Eleanor Toledskaya, wife of Cosimo Medici. (Grandmother of the French Queen Marie de Medici)
In honor of the wedding of his son Francesco and Princess Jeanne of Austria, the ruler ordered the construction of a corridor connecting the two city squares of Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, which passed over the buildings of the bridge.
The Medici family was not noble, came from a family of bankers, and Cosimo wanted to impress his new royal relatives.
Heir apparent - Francesco Medici
His bride is Princess Jeanne of Austria, for whom a secret corridor was built.
Judging by the portrait, the princess was capricious.
Cosimo Medici ordered dormers to be made in the gallery above the bridge in order to eavesdrop on what the commoners say about him.
The secret passage was named the Vasari Corridor in honor of the architect who embodied the Medici idea.
Street art on the theme of the Middle Ages
Now in the Vasari Corridor there is an art gallery, which also contains works by Russian artists Kustodiev and Kiprensky.
The road from the bridge to the central square.
Mannelli Tower
The Vasari corridor ran through the city buildings. The noble Mannelly family was the only one who resisted the passage of the Corridor through their property, as they did for other buildings. Mannelli insisted that the Corridor be built around the tower.
Legend has it that the Mannelly family paid Medici taxes for several years for their intervention in the project.
"At noon, cats look under the benches to see if they are black
shadows. On the Old Bridge - now it has been repaired -
where it busts against the blue hills of Cellini,
they are smartly selling all kinds of branzulets;
waves touch the branch, babbling after branch.
And golden strands bending over rare
the thing of the beauty, rummaging between boxes
under the frenzied gaze of young merchants,
seem to be the trail of an angel in the power of the blackheads. "
As the poet Joseph Brodsky wrote.
On the bridge in 1901, a monument was erected to Benvenuto Cellini - the famous sculptor and jeweler of the 16th century. Those who are familiar with the work of A. Dumas have probably read the novel "Ascanio" about the adventures of this talented man.
Monument to the jeweler Benvenuto Cellini on the Old Bridge. Nearby is a building on the roof of which (top right) you can see a medieval sundial, installed in the XIV century.
View from the Old Bridge to the Arno River.
Each city has its own building, which is its symbol, associated with the city. Along with the Cathedral of Florence, the old Renaissance bridge called Ponte Vecchio is the city's highlight
The most famous bridge in Florence and also the oldest of the city's bridges. Ponte Vecchio - a structure with three stone arches, built to replace the old wooden bridge that crossed the Arno River in this place since Roman times. The upper side of the bridge, known as the Vasariano Corridor, was designed by the architect Vasari to connect Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizzi Gallery with the Pitti Palace. Today it houses the famous art gallery. 
This bridge is built up and inhabited by people. Originally there were grocery stores, but by the end of the 15th century, Ponte Vecchio was a favorite of jewelers and silversmiths. There is an open area in the middle of the bridge, from where you can watch the river and its banks 
It is said that this is where the economic concept of bankruptcy came from: when the seller could no longer pay his debts, soldiers came and smashed (rotto) his shop (banco). This practice became known as “bancorotto” (broken table). Since the merchant no longer had a table, he was unable to sell anything else. 
During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the Germans during their retreat on 4 August 1944, unlike all other bridges in Florence. A special order from Hitler was given to leave the bridge unharmed. Access to it was, however, hampered by destroyed buildings on both sides of the river. Later, all buildings were rebuilt, some of them according to the original projects, and some according to new 
Along the Ponte Vecchio bridge, there have always been many locks attached to various places, especially on the railing around the statue of Benvenuto Celini. This tradition appeared in Florence recently, although it has existed for a long time in Russia and Asia (for example, the bridge of love in Moscow). The owner of the castle shop at the end of the bridge contributed to this. Lovers hang locks: closing the lock and throwing the key into the river, which symbolizes eternal love. This is a good example of the negative impact of mass tourism: thousands of castles were periodically removed, spoiling or damaging the structure of the century-old bridge. Over time, they stopped doing this, after the city government placed a sign on the bridge, mentioning a fine of 50? for one castle of love. It turned out that those who want to seal their love for 50? significantly less 
