When in Florence... Ponte Vecchio

"What really makes the Ponte Vecchio unique is the fact that there are buildings lining both sides of the bridge itself." Hotels in Florence: Choose your budget, the area of Firenze you wish to stay in and type of accommodation (hotel or B&B), and you will get a list of available properties. On-line reservation. Hotel reviews facilitate your choice.

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What really makes the Ponte Vecchio unique is the fact that there are buildings lining both sides of the bridge itself. Originally these were mostly butcher shops, but these used to dump their offal into the Arno and towards the end of the 16th century got moved from the Ponte Vecchio. From that moment on only jewelry shops were allowed on the Ponte Vecchio.

The bust in the middle of the bridge is Benito Cellini, one of Florence's most famous goldsmiths.

Nowadays there are obviously a lot of souvenir shops to be found among the upmarket jewelry stores.

In 1966, a year of an abundance of rain, and many floods, many valuable objects ended up in the river Arno.

There are 43 winkels on the bridge, which consists of three arches.
The Corridoio Vasariano (Vasari Hall) that runs over the medievil shops was built in 1565 as a private road for the Grand Dukes who wanted to go from the Palazzo della Signoria and the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti.

The central part of Ponte Vecchio has openings on both sides that allow magnificent views over the river Arno and the majestic buildings along its banks.

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