About This Location
Ponte Vecchio is Florence’s oldest and most famous bridge, stretching over the Arno with a row of small shops built right on top of it. The bridge was rebuilt in the mid-1300s after a flood, and it has been a working, lived-in place ever since - not just a crossing, but a little street over the river. Standing on the bridge, the main thing to notice is the setting. Shops line both sides, and the river opens up between the gaps. Up above, a covered passage runs along the top of the buildings - this is part of the Vasari Corridor, built in 1565 to connect the Medici’s government base at Palazzo Vecchio with their home at Palazzo Pitti. In the middle section, the corridor has windows that look out over the Arno. Now look for the Monument to Benvenuto Cellini. It is a bronze bust on a small fountain, placed on the eastern side of the bridge in 1900. Cellini was a Florentine goldsmith and sculptor, and choosing this spot makes sense - Ponte Vecchio has long been linked to jewelry and fine crafts. One more historical detail gives this bridge a special place in modern memory. During the German retreat in August 1944, Ponte Vecchio was not blown up, unlike the other bridges in Florence.