Florence is known for its amazing and historical pieces of architecture. One that many people may not know the history of is the Ponte Vecchio. Many people see it and notice that it is a beautiful, but odd-looking bridge because of the shops built onto the bridge. However, many people may not know about the history behind this bridge and all of the special things about it. I believe it is one of the most interesting pieces of architecture because it has a very interesting history. The Ponte Vecchio translates to Old Bridge, and it is located south of Piazza della Repubblica towards Palazzo Pitti. It is the busiest bridge to walk through when crossing the Arno River. This is due to its immense beauty and amazing shops all located on the bridge itself. The shops have a medieval style to them and were originally built during the thirteenth century. They were originally butcher shops before jewelers were eventually allowed to have the shops. They switched from butcher shops to jewelers because the butchers were leaving too much waste. This waste caused a foul smell to spread along the bridge. In 1593, Ferdinand I stated that only goldsmiths and jewelers are allowed to have their shops on the bridge. Since then, these are the only stores on the bridge. While I walked on the bridge, I noticed every store had a wide range of jewelry. There are also a few small street shops now because of the amount of tourists crossing the bridge as well. Some sell souvenirs and others sell paintings and drawings.
The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence, and it was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218. A flood destroyed the bridge for the first time in 1117. It was reconstructed in 1333 and then it was rebuilt again to today’s shape of the bridge in 1345. It is not exactly known who the designer of today’s bridge is. There are two possible designers. It is believed that it is either Taddeo Gaddi or Neri di Fioravanti. During World War II, this bridge was the only bridge left standing. It is said that Adolf Hitler personally ordered it to not be destroyed. They only destroyed shops on both ends of the bridge and they were rebuilt after. In 1966, the bridge was almost destroyed again, but it resisted and is now walked on by locals and tourists everyday. This bridge was originally built for defense, but now it is an artistic element that is greatly admired in Florence. It has amazing views of Florence and the Arno River. Most tourists are seen standing on the sides of the bridge to take pictures.
I wanted to find out how long some of the shops have been on this bridge, so I asked shop owners. Bernardo Frilli, the owner of the Frilli jewelry store said, “My jewelry store has been around for many years. It opened in the 1890s and was sold for around 100 or 200 euros”.
Sonia, from the Fallaci jewelry store, said her store has been open since 1963. T hat is more recent compared to the other jewelry stores. One of the most recently opened stores I checked out was Michelangelo Gold. They opened around 10 years ago. The bridge contains mostly old, family owned stores, which makes it a very interesting area to go shopping for jewelry. The jewelers are very kind and open to discuss the historical facts of the Ponte Vecchio. If you ever go into the jewelry stores, you should ask the jewelers about the history of their stores.
One of the storeowners also told me that there is a museum above the shops. I originally thought there were small apartments above the shops, but it is actually the pathway between the Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace. This pathway above the shops is called the Vasari Corridor. This pathway has amazing views. In 1939, Benito Mussolini ordered the windows to be enlarged. This gave an amazing view of the Arno River. Adolf Hitler was very impressed, which is why he ordered the bridge not be destroyed during World War II.
The bridge also contains a tradition that is very popular amongst tourists. You will notice some padlocks on the Ponte Vecchio. The key is thrown into the water and it means that love will last forever. It is said that a locksmith who wanted to increase sales created this tradition. The locks are only placed around a statue of Benvenuto Cellini. He was an Italian Goldsmith and one of the most important artists of Mannerism. Now, it is actually illegal to leave locks on the bridge. It began to damage the bridge, so there are warning signs saying not to place any locks on the bridge. People will be fined for leaving locks on the bridge. However, this did inspire many other places to start having padlock bridges. Cities all over the world have bridges with padlocks on them to symbolize forever love.
If you are in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio is definitely somewhere you should visit. Make sure to ask the shop owners about the history of their stores and bridges. There is a great amount of interesting information one can learn here. Also, go through the corridor if you are going between the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace. It will be an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately, the corridor is currently closed for repairs and refurbishments. It will be opening again on May 27, 2018. Tickets for the corridor will be available soon. The bridge itself is free and open to all visitors. The shops usually close in the evening around 6 PM. After the shops close, the windows and doors are covered in order to protect the jewelry. The bridge is still a great place to go to at night to enjoy a great view and some musicians perform on the bridge as well. Overall, the history of the Ponte Vecchio was very interesting to learn about now I appreciate the bridge much more when crossing it.
