Florence, Ponte Vecchio Print

Florence, Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence. It is believed that a bridge already existed here during the Roman times. Its current appearance dates back to 1345 when it was built to replace a bridge which was destroyed by a flood. Houses were built on the bridge, a common practice in large European cities during the Middle Ages. The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence that survived the Second World War unscathed. n the sixteenth century, the Duke of Florence Cosimo I de' Medici decided to build a corridor to connect the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace across the Arno River, so that he would not need to walk across the always crowded bridge while commuting between his residences. The corridor, locally known as the Corridoio Vasariano after its creator Giorgio Vasari, was built in 1565 on top of the shops on the bridge. On the south side of the bridge the corridor wraps around the Manelli Tower. The owners of the tower, which was originally built to defend the bridge, refused to demolish the tower to make way for the corridor, so Vascari saw no other option than to build around it. (Source: )