The Ponte Vecchio (The Old Bridge)
The Ponte Vecchio, an emblematic monument of Florence, is located on the Arno River and can be reached from the Duomo (cathedral) by taking via Roma and the streets that follow it, via Calimala and via Por Santa Maria.
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The origin of the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) dates back to 120 AD to allow the passage of the via Cassia (an ancient Roman road) over the Arno. The floods of the river regularly destroyed the works of art until the construction in 1345 of a bridge entirely in stone which allowed the installation of shops.
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In 1593 Ferdinand I, bothered by the smells coming from the stores (butchers - fishmongers - tanners) when he used the Vasari corridor (it is the protected passage that the Medici used to go to the Pitti Palace from the Palazzo Vecchio), only allowed the noble arts (jewelers - goldsmiths) to operate there. In the middle of the bridge a small square offers a magnificent view of the Arno and the bridges that cross it.
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