Ponte Vecchio

The name derives from the fact that the bridge is the oldest in the city. It was also the only bridge not destroyed by the German mines in the World War II. It crosses the Arno at its narrowest point where, in Roman times, a crossing existed on the Via Cassia with stone pilasters and a wooden footbridge. There is documentation of the bridge from 996, above all referring to its numerous collapses, such as those in 1117 and 1333. The bridge was built in 1345: according to Vasari on a design by Taddeo Gaddi, but more probably by Neri di Fioravanti. The structure rests on three arches and is lined with porticoes which create a veritable street. The shops were originally licensed to the Guilds of the wool trade, the butchers, tanners and blacksmiths until the end of the 16th century when Ferdinando I de’ Medici wished the gold and  silver smiths to be located here.
The shops on the bridge have small windows with characteristic wooden shutters called madielle, which have become a symbol of Florence.
The terrace in the centre of the rows of shops offers beautiful views of the river and there is a fountain with a bust of Benvenuto Cellini. The Mannelli Tower closes the bridge on the Oltrarno bank. The bridge, shops and Vasari Corridor, damaged in the 1966 floods, have been restored.