The Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence can be safely called one of the main attractions of the Tuscan capital. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that since the time of its construction, namely since 1345, the bridge has not changed its appearance. Just imagine that Michelangelo once walked along his pavement, looking for characters for his famous frescoes. And Botticelli’s muse is Simonetta Vespucci, whose beautiful face the artist immortalized in his creation “The Birth of Venus”, walking along the bridge, accelerated his pace to get rid of annoying fans ...
The old bridge of Florence. History of creation
"Old Bridge" - this is how the name of the Ponte Vecchio bridge is translated from Italian. And not because it is the oldest in the city.
The fact is that long before its construction, two bridges already stood on this very spot: the first was built back in ancient times and outlived its builders much. The severe flood that occurred on the Arno River in 1117 was the last test for the ancient Roman bridge, as a result of which it was completely destroyed.
"Old Bridge" - this is how the name of the Ponte Vecchio bridge is translated from Italian
The second bridge, soon erected in the same place, managed to hold out a little more than two hundred years. However, he suffered the fate of his predecessor: the bridge was demolished by ruthless water in 1333.
During the construction of the third and last bridge Ponte Vecchio, his architect had to work hard so that the structure was strong enough and able to withstand all weather disasters. And, apparently, he succeeded.
View of the Golden Bridge and the Arno River
The construction of Ponte Vecchio and its features
Surprisingly, with its strength, which allowed it to survive for almost 700 years, the stone three-arch bridge Ponte Vecchio does not look heavy at all, rather the opposite. The architect managed to give the building a kind of lightness, one might even say elegance.
This is despite the fact that in addition to its main function - crossing from one bank of the Arno River to another - there are many jewelry shops and an art gallery on the bridge.
In the center of the bridge is an observation deck with a beautiful view of the river
Shops that stretch on both sides of the Ponte Vecchio, in its very center give way to an observation deck with a beautiful view of the river.
Once upon a time there was a brisk trade in meat, and there was so much goods that for all the length of the bridge was not enough. Butchers had to "sculpt" additional extensions and they still hang on both sides of the bridge. Then the meat merchants were literally supplanted by the "goldsmiths" of the master. And by the XVII century, due to the abundance of shops selling gold and silver jewelry, another name was firmly established for Ponte Vecchio in Florence - the Golden Bridge.
Small dormer windows made along the Vasari corridor
Vasari Corridor: noble passage and art gallery
The Vasari corridor, which today houses the famous art gallery of Florence, was completed over the existing bridge buildings in 1565. Such was the order of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I. Through this corridor, the duke and his retinue could freely move from the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti, i.e. from the place where he worked, to the place where he lived.
It is curious that along the entire length of the corridor there are small round windows that, as legend has it, enabled the duke to always be aware of the situation in the city and what his subjects are talking about.
The art gallery of the Vasari Corridor contains more than 2 thousand paintings
In addition, on one of the sections of the corridor there are panoramic windows with wonderful views of the Arno River and the Santa Trinita Bridge, which the townspeople consider the most elegant bridge in Florence.
The Vasari corridor, or rather the art gallery located in it, stores more than 2 thousand paintings. Her collection contains priceless creations of Roman and Neapolitan masters who worked in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In the gallery you can see self-portraits of Rubens and Raphael, Velazquez and Vasari, Kustodiev and Kiprensky. The works of great Italian artists and other world celebrities, ranging from the Middle Ages to the first half of the 20th century.
Bust of Benvenuto Cellini and locks of love
The bust of the famous Italian sculptor, painter, musician and jeweler of the Renaissance Benvenuto Cellini adorns the western side of the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence since 1901. His statue "Perseus" with the severed head of the Gorgon jellyfish in his hands is one of the most famous works of the master (she can be seen at Signoria Square). By the way, Cellini worked on this sculpture for about 9 years - from 1545 to 1554.
Interestingly, the fence that protects the bust of Benvenuto Cellini, all hung with such popular today "locks of love", symbolizing her eternity.
Rumor has it that the idea of hanging a castle on the fence of a bust of a famous sculptor belongs to the owner of the castle store. Now his business is booming, especially considering that the store is located right on the bridge.
A bust of Benvenuto Cellini is mounted on the west side of the bridge
Everything would be fine, but only the authorities are categorically against hanging locks on historical values. Thousands of locks and locks locked with a key are regularly removed in this very place, which cause considerable damage not only to the fence, but also to the bridge itself. The only thing that had an effect in this case was a fine of 50 euros for each new castle, and their number was immediately reduced.
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Photos by: Sockmister, Giles Alexander, Nuno Cardoso, lifeglobe.net, Julian PIERRE.
