🇮🇹Florence "Old Bridge"

#AprilGoodDestinations2025 The Ponte Vecchio is a medieval stone arch bridge across the Arno River in Florence, Italy. It was built in the 14th century. The existing bridge still retains the arc structure of closed arch shoulders and is regarded as the oldest existing stone arch bridge in Italy. There are still many shops on both sides of the bridge. In the early days, they were mainly butcher shops, but now they are mainly goldsmith workshops and jewelry stores, with souvenir shops selling leather goods and hand-painted postcards in between. The bridge's columns and arches form a natural shelter, and even in rainy and snowy weather, shop owners can still be seen polishing silver jewelry for tourists between the mottled stone walls. Within 50 meters of the bridgehead are the Santa Trinita Bridge and the Grace Bridge. Together, the three ancient bridges form a historical complex on the Arno River. The Ponte Vecchio has become one of Florence's most recognizable city landmarks because of the legend of Dante and the story of merchants traveling between the cities during the Renaissance.