Ponte Vecchio bridge, Florence, Italy

The Ponte Vecchio (“Old Bridge”) is the oldest bridge in Florence and crosses the Arno at its narrowest point. A crossing has stood here since Roman times; after a flood swept away its predecessor in 1333, the present stone bridge with three segmental arches was completed in 1345. It is traditionally attributed to Taddeo Gaddi, though many historians credit Neri di Fioravanti.

Shops have lined the bridge since the Middle Ages. At first they belonged to butchers and tanners, but in 1593 Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici banned these smelly trades and gave the shops to goldsmiths and jewellers, who still occupy them today. Many of the little workshops hang out over the river on wooden brackets.

Above the shops runs the Vasari Corridor, an enclosed passage that Giorgio Vasari built in 1565 for Cosimo I de’ Medici. It links the Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, with the Palazzo Pitti on the other bank, so the Medici could move between them without going down to the street. After years of restoration it reopened in December 2024 and can be visited with a combined Uffizi ticket (2026: €43 on the day, €47 booked in advance).

The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence that retreating German troops did not blow up in August 1944, although they demolished the medieval buildings at both ends to block it. In the middle of the bridge, an open terrace with a bust of the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini (1901) looks along the Arno; fixing love locks to its railings is forbidden and fined.

Walking across the bridge is free at any time. It is most crowded from late morning to evening, so come early, or watch the sunset over the bridge from the neighbouring Ponte Santa Trinita.