The Ponte Vecchio is not just the oldest stone arch bridge in Europe; it is a survivor. While it looks like a fairytale today, its is packed with drama, transformation, and a few secrets that most tourists walk right past.Florence walking tour will help you discover this magic bridge and many more secrets !
- Here are a few fascinating stories you’ll discover when you stroll across it with us.
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From Butchers to Jewelers: Back in the 1400s, the bridge was actually home to the city’s fishmongers and butchers. Why? So they could easily toss their waste into the river! In 1593, Grand Duke Ferdinando I decided the smell was far too unbefitting of royalty. He evicted the butchers and decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers could occupy the shops. To this day, the bridge glitters with some of the finest gold in Italy.
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The Secret Medici Passageway: Look closely above the glittering jewelry shops. See that row of windows running along the top? That is the Vasari Corridor. Built in 1565, this private, kilometer-long aerial hallway allowed the ruling Medici family to walk from their palace to the town hall without ever having to mingle with the commoners on the street.
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The Bridge That Hitler Spared: During World War World II, as retreating forces blew up every single historic bridge in Florence to slow down the Allied advance, the Ponte Vecchio was miraculously spared. Legend has it that the bridge was declared too beautiful to destroy, making it the only original bridge over the Arno to survive the war.
- Florence walking tour will help you discover this magic bridge and many more secrets !
