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Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Landmark

Ponte Vecchio

Florence · Tuscany

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Landmark
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Florence · Tuscany
DURATION
2 days

ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION

The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest of Florence’s bridges and its most photographed, a medieval stone arch across the Arno lined on both sides with jewellery shops that overhang the water on corbels. Butchers and grocers originally occupied the shops; a 1593 decree by Ferdinando I expelled them and reserved the bridge for goldsmiths and jewellers, who are still there. Above the shops runs the Vasari Corridor, the kilometre-long enclosed passage Cosimo I built in 1565 so the Medici could move between the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo Vecchio without mixing with the crowd. The Ponte Vecchio was the only one of Florence’s bridges not blown up by the retreating Germans in August 1944, supposedly on Hitler’s orders.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

The story behind it

A bridge has crossed the Arno at this point since Roman times; the present stone bridge dates from 1345, rebuilt after a flood, and is an early example of segmental arches. The butchers’ shops that originally lined it were replaced by goldsmiths and jewellers in 1593 by decree of Ferdinando I, who wanted a more respectable trade on a bridge the Medici used. The Vasari Corridor above was built by Giorgio Vasari in 1565 in five months, to link the Palazzo Pitti across the river with the seat of government. In 1944 the retreating German army destroyed all of Florence’s bridges except the Ponte Vecchio, which survived — though the historic buildings at either end were blown up, leaving the bridge standing alone over the river.

WHAT TO SEE

What to see here

01

The jewellery shops — the goldsmiths’ and jewellers’ boutiques overhanging the water, a tradition since 1593.

02

The Vasari Corridor — the enclosed passage above the shops, now a museum of self-portraits, visible from the bridge as a row of small windows.

03

The bust of Cellini — the 1900 bronze bust of the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini at the centre of the bridge.

04

The view up and down the Arno — the classic Florence river view from the bridge’s centre.

WHY IT MATTERS

Why it matters

The Ponte Vecchio is the most complete survival of medieval Florence in the city, and the bridge that connects the two halves of the Medici city — the seat of government on the north bank and the Palazzo Pitti on the south. Its survival in 1944, alone among the bridges, makes it the last physical link to the Florence of Dante and the Florentine republic. For a visitor, it is both a landmark and a working street of shops, and the view from its centre is the one most people carry away.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access
The bridge is a public crossing, open at all hours and free. The Vasari Corridor is visited on booked tours only.
Best Time
Sunrise and sunset for the light on the river; evening for the shops lit up.
Context
The bridge links the Uffizi and the Piazza della Signoria on the north bank with the Palazzo Pitti and the Oltrarno on the south.

MAP & LOCATION

Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

43.7680, 11.2533

Open in OpenStreetMap

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THINGS TO DO

Things to do nearby

01

Cross to the Oltrarno and the Boboli Gardens

02

Watch the sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

03

Eat and drink your way through the San Lorenzo market quarter

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Trattoria Sostanza — a historic trattoria since 1869, famous for its butter chicken and artichoke tortino, book ahead

02

All’Antico Vinaio — the city’s famous schiacciata bread sandwich, queues around the block

03

Trattoria Mario — a no-reservations lunch-only trattoria near the Mercato Centrale, honest Tuscan cooking

04

Osteria delle Tre Panche — a tiny wine bar serving the best maccheroni in the city, a few tables only

05

Ristorante Cibrèo — the classic Florentine restaurant, the place for ribollita and the chicken liver pâté

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Hotel Lungarno — a riverside boutique hotel overlooking the Ponte Vecchio, with a private art collection

02

Hotel Brunelleschi — a hotel built around a Byzantine tower in the historic centre, steps from the Duomo

03

Hotel Torre Guelfa Palazzo Acciaiuoli — a medieval tower hotel near the Ponte Vecchio, with a rooftop terrace

04

Hotel Cellai — a charming garden hotel in the San Lorenzo quarter, good value for a central stay

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