Tag Archives: Bridges

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) connects the city centre to the district of Oltrarno on the south bank of the river Arno. It is the first bridge ever built in Florence, surely one of the great icons of the city and one of the most famous bridges in the world.
It is best known today for the wooden-shuttered goldsmiths’ shops that line both sides of it, and for the Vasari Corridor that runs over it.

Historical sources indicate that Ponte Vecchio has been in place since at least the twelfth century, and we know that for a long time the Arno River was crossable only at this point.

The old bridge crosses the river at its narrowest point within the city, and a series of bridges—of which this the fifth version—have stood on or around this spot since the days of the ancient Romans.

The Bridges of Florence

The City of Florence is divided in two by the river Arno, but its charming bridges give it a harmonious sense of continuity between the two sides. All of Florence’s bridges share centuries of history. The oldest and most famous is certainly Ponte Vecchio, mentioned by author Dan Brown in his novel Inferno. However, the other bridges are also important and noteworthy, given their stories, particularities, and that they have become real monuments.