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{{Short description|Bridge in Florence, Italy}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox bridge {{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name = Ponte Vecchio | name = Ponte Vecchio
|image = Italy and Greece 105.jpg | image = Ponte Vecchio from Ponte alle Grazie.jpg
|caption = View of the Ponte Vecchio from above | caption =
|official_name = | official_name =
|carries = | carries =
|crosses = ] | crosses = ]
|locale = ], Italy | locale = ], Italy
|maint = | maint =
|id = | id =
|design = closed-] segmental stone ] | design = Closed-] segmental stone ]
|mainspan = {{convert|30|m}} | mainspan = {{convert|30|m}}
|length = | length =
|width = {{convert|32|m}} | width =
|height = | height =
| load =
| clearance =
|load =
|clearance = | below =
|below = | traffic =
|traffic = | begin =
| complete =
|begin =
|complete = | open =
|open = | closed =
| toll =
|closed =
| coordinates = {{coord|43.76799|11.25316|format=dms|type:landmark_region:IT-FI|display=inline,title}}
|toll =
|map_cue =
|map_image =
|map_text =
|map_width =
|coordinates = {{Coord|43|46|4.76|N|11|15|11.49|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
}} }}

]
The '''Ponte Vecchio''' ("Old Bridge", {{IPA-it|ˈponte ˈvɛkkjo}})<ref name=pv>{{cite book | year=2007 | title=Ponte Vecchio | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=29221&r=973 | title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia | publisher=Rai | language=Italian |accessdate=2010-02-24}}</ref> is a ] ] over the ], in ], Italy, noted for still having shops built along it, as was once common. Butchers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. It has been described as ]'s oldest wholly-stone, closed-] ] ],<ref name=pv/> but there are far older segmental arch bridges such as ]. The Ponte Vecchio's two neighbouring bridges are the ] and the ]. The '''Ponte Vecchio''' ({{IPA|it|ˈponte ˈvɛkkjo}};<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dizionario.rai.it/poplemma.aspx?lid=29221&r=973 | title=Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia | publisher=Rai | language=it |access-date=2010-02-24}}</ref> "Old Bridge")<ref name=pv>{{cite book | year=2007 | title=Ponte Vecchio | publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> is a ] stone closed-] ] ] over the ], in ], Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during ], it is noted for the shops built along it; building shops on such bridges was once a common practice. Butchers, tanners, and farmers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers.<ref name="dupre">{{cite book|last = Dupré, Judith|author-link = Judith Dupré| date =2017 |title = Bridges: A History of the World's Most Spectacular Spans | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=om5FDgAAQBAJ|format = Google Books| access-date = 2 March 2020 | location= New York| publisher = Hachette/Black Dog & Leventhal|isbn=978-0-316-47380-4}}</ref> The Ponte Vecchio's two neighbouring bridges are the ] and the ].

The bridge connects Via Por Santa Maria (Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli and Lungarno degli Archibusieri) to Via de' Guicciardini (Borgo San Jacopo and Via de' Bardi).

The name was given to what was the oldest Florentine bridge when the ] was built, then called {{lang|it|Ponte Nuovo}} in contrast to the old one. Beyond the historical value, the bridge over time has played a central role in the city road system, starting from when it connected the Roman ] with the ] Nova commissioned by the ] in 123 AD.

In contemporary times, despite being closed to vehicular traffic, the bridge is crossed by a considerable pedestrian flow generated both by its fame and by the fact that it connects places of high tourist interest on the two banks of the river: ], ] on one side with the area of ] and ] in the ].

The bridge appears in the list drawn up in 1901 by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Fine Arts, as a monumental building to be considered national artistic heritage.


==History and construction== ==History and construction==
The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point<ref name="tci">Touring Club Italiano, ''Firenze e dintorni'' 1964:321</ref> where it is believed that a bridge was first built in ] times,<ref name=arch>{{cite book | first=Guido | last=Zucconi | year= 1995| title=Florence: An Architectural Guide | publisher=Arsenale Editrice srl | location=San Giovanni Lupatoto, Vr, Italy | isbn=88-7743-147-4}}</ref> when the ] crossed the river at this point.<ref name="tci"/> The Roman piers were of stone, the superstructure of wood.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} The bridge first appears in a document of 996<ref name="tci"/> and was destroyed by a ] in 1117<ref name="dupre"/> and reconstructed in stone. In 1218 the Ponte alla Carraia, a wooden structure, was established nearby which led to it being referred to as "Ponte Nuovo" relative to the older (Vecchio) structure.<ref name="dupre"/> It was swept away again in 1333<ref name=arch/> except for two of its central piers, as noted by ] in his '']''.<ref>Bartlett, Kenneth R. (1992). ''The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance''. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company. {{ISBN|0-669-20900-7}} (Paperback). Page 40.</ref> It was rebuilt in 1345.<ref>{{cite book | first=Michele G | last=Melaragno | year=1998 | title=Preliminary Design of Bridges for Architects and Engineers | publisher=Marcel Dekker | isbn=0-8247-0184-4 | pages=3}}</ref>
]
]The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point<ref name="tci">Touring Club Italiano, ''Firenze e dintorni'' 1964:321</ref> where it is believed that a bridge was first built in ] times,<ref name=arch>{{cite book | first=Guido | last=Zucconi | year= 1995| title=Florence: An Architectural Guide | publisher=Arsenale Editrice srl | location=San Giovanni Lupatoto, Vr, Italy | isbn=88-7743-147-4}}</ref> when the ] crossed the river at this point.<ref name="tci"/> The Roman piers were of stone, the superstructure of wood. The bridge first appears in a document of 996.<ref name="tci"/> After being destroyed by a ] in 1117 it was reconstructed in stone but swept away again in 1333<ref name=arch/> save two of its central piers, as noted by ] in his '']''.<ref>Bartlett, Kenneth R. (1992). ''The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance''. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company. ISBN 0-669-20900-7 (Paperback). Page 40.</ref> It was rebuilt in 1345,<ref>{{cite book | first=Michele G | last=Melaragno | year=1998 | title=Preliminary Design of Bridges for Architects and Engineers | publisher=Marcel Dekker | isbn=0824701844 | pages=3}}</ref> ] recorded the tradition in his day, that attributed its design to ],<ref name="pv"/> besides Giotto one of the few artistic names of the trecento still recalled two hundred years later. Modern historians present ] as a possible candidate.<ref name="tci"/> Sheltered in a little loggia at the central opening of the bridge is a weathered dedication stone, which once read ''Nel trentatrè dopo il mille-trecento, il ponte cadde, per diluvio dell' acque: poi dieci anni, come al Comun piacque, rifatto fu con questo adornamento''.<ref>Translated it would read, "In the thirty-third year following thirteen hundred, the bridge fell, from a watery flood: ten years later, at the pleasure of the Commune, it was rebuilt, with this adornment". (Touring Club Italiano, ''Firenze e dintorni'' 1964:321)</ref> The ] was built at the southeast corner of the bridge to defend it.


This location marks one of the earliest crossings of the Arno in Florence, possibly originating from Roman times or even before. Although floods have repeatedly damaged it, the current bridge has stood since approximately 1339-1345. For many years, the only older bridge in the city was the Rubaconte bridge, built nearly a century earlier. But after significant 19th-century modifications and its destruction in 1944, the Ponte Vecchio claimed its title as the oldest bridge in Florence.
The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of 30 meters (98&nbsp;ft) the two side arches each span 27 meters (88&nbsp;ft). The rise of the arches is between 3.5 and 4.4 meters (11½ to 14½ feet), and the span-to-rise ratio 5:1.<ref name="structurae">{{Structurae|id=s0000472|title=Ponte Vecchio}}. Retrieved on 2007-02-16</ref>


] recorded the traditional view of his day that attributed its design to ]<ref name="pv" />— besides Giotto one of the few artistic names of the ] still recalled two hundred years later. Modern historians present Neri di Fioravanti as a possible candidate as the builder.<ref name="tci" />
It has always hosted shops and merchants <!--a source should be easily found, or this is no legend:(legend says this was originally due to a tax exemption),--> who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, after authorization of the ] (a sort of a lord mayor, a magistrate and a police authority). The back shops (''retrobotteghe'') that may be seen from upriver, were added in the seventeenth century.<ref name="tci"/>


Sheltered in a little loggia at the central opening of the bridge is a weathered dedication stone, which once read ''Nel trentatrè dopo il mille-trecento, il ponte cadde, per diluvio dell' acque: poi dieci anni, come al Comun piacque, rifatto fu con questo adornamento''.<ref>Translated it would read, "In the thirty-third year following thirteen hundred, the bridge fell, from a watery flood: ten years later, at the pleasure of the Commune, it was rebuilt, with this adornment". (Touring Club Italiano, ''Firenze e dintorni'' 1964:321)</ref> The ] was built at the southeast corner of the bridge to defend it.
It is said that the economic concept of ] originated here: when a merchant could not pay his debts, the table on which he sold his wares (the "banco") was physically broken ("rotto") by soldiers, and this practice was called "bancorotto" (broken table; possibly it can come from "banca rotta" which means "broken bank"). Not having a table anymore, the merchant was not able to sell anything.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary, it gives the origin as from the Italian ''banca rotta'' "'''broken bench'''", but not specifically from this bridge.'' online, ''.</ref><ref>''Dictionary.com, an Ask.com Service, it gives the origin as from the Italin ''Banca Rotta'' "'''broken moneylenders bench'''", and is first recorded in 1552. It does not specifically link it with this bridge'', ''.</ref><!--nothing to connect this old tale with the Ponte Vecchio's merchants-->


The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of {{convert|30|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}, and the two side arches each span {{convert|27|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}}. The rise of the arches is between 3.5 and 4.4 metres (11½ to 14½ feet), and the span-to-rise ratio is 5:1.<ref name="structurae">{{Structurae|id=20000472|title=Ponte Vecchio}}. Retrieved on 2007-02-16</ref> The shallow segmental arches, which require fewer piers than the ] arch traditionally used by Romans, enabled ease of access and navigation for animal-drawn carts.<ref name="dupre" /> Another notable design element is the large ] at the center of the bridge that ] described as a prominent ornament in the city.<ref name="dupre" />
During ], the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by Germans during their retreat of August 4, 1944, unlike all other bridges in Florence.<ref>''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' online, ''.</ref><ref>{{cite book | first=Gene | last=Brucker | year=1983 | title=Renaissance Florence | publisher=University of California Press | isbn=0520046951 | pages=8}}</ref> This was allegedly because of an express order by ]{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}. Access to Ponte Vecchio was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings at both ends, which have since been rebuilt using a combination of original and modern design.


A stone with an inscription from ] ('']'' xvi. 140-7) records the spot at the entrance to the bridge where ] was murdered by the ] clan in 1215, which began the urban fighting of the ].
==Vasari's Corridor==
{{Main|Vasari Corridor}}
In order to connect the ] (Florence's town hall) with the ], in 1565 ] had ] build the famous ] above it.<ref name=arch/> To enforce the prestige of the bridge, in 1593 the Medici Grand Dukes prohibited butchers from selling there; their place was immediately taken by several gold merchants. The corporative association of butchers had monopolised the shops on the bridge since 1442. A stone with an inscription from ] ('']'' xvi. 140-7) records the spot at the entrance to the bridge where ] was murdered on behalf of the ], in 1215, initiating the urban fighting of the ].


The bridge has always hosted shops and merchants <!--a source should be easily found, or this is no legend:(legend says this was originally due to a tax exemption),--> who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, after authorization by the ] (a sort of a lord mayor, a magistrate and a police authority).
==Recent history==
Along the Ponte Vecchio, there were many ]s locked to various places, especially to the railing around the statue of ].<ref>Sculpted by ] in 1900 (Touring Club Italiano, Firenze e dintorni 1964:321).</ref> This is a recent tradition for the Ponte Vecchio, although it has been practiced in Russia and in Asia before. It was perhaps introduced by the padlock shop owner at the end of the bridge. It is popularly connected to idea of love and lovers: by locking the padlock and throwing the key into the river, the lovers became eternally bonded. This is an example of the negative impact of mass tourism: thousands of padlocks needed to be removed frequently, spoiling or damaging the structure of the centuries-old bridge; however, it seems to have decreased after the city administration put a sign on the bridge mentioning a 50€ penalty for those caught locking something to the fence.


== Later additions and changes ==
The bridge was severely damaged in the ].<ref> at web site of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz</ref>
] from ] to ]]]
In order to connect the ] (Florence's town hall) with the ], in 1565 ] had ] build the ], part of which runs above the Ponte Vecchio.<ref name="arch" />


To enhance the prestige and clean up the bridge, a decree was made in 1565 that excluded butchers from this bridge (only goldsmiths and jewellers are allowed) that is in effect to this day.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Haegen|first1=Anne Mueller von der|last2=Strasser|first2=Ruth F.|title=Art & Architecture: Tuscany|date=2013|publisher=H.F.Ullmann Publishing|location=Potsdam|isbn=978-3-8480-0321-1|page=216|chapter=Ponte Vecchio}}</ref> The association of butchers had monopolized the shops on the bridge since 1442.
The bridge is mentioned in the famous aria '']''.


The back shops (''retrobotteghe'') that may be seen from upriver were added in the seventeenth century.<ref name="tci" />
{{wide image|Ponte Vecchio panorama.jpg|800px|<center>Panoramic view of the Ponte Vecchio.</center>}}


==Gallery== ==20th century==
In 1900, to honour and mark the fourth century of the birth of the great Florentine sculptor and master goldsmith ], the leading goldsmiths of the bridge commissioned the Florentine sculptor, ], to create a bronze bust of Cellini to stand atop a fountain in the middle of the Eastern side of the bridge, where it stands to this day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raffaelloromanelli.com/en/about-us/founders/raffaello-romanelli/|title=Raffaello Romanelli |website=Galleria Romanelli|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref>
<gallery>
]
File:PictureFlorenceItalyPonteVecchio1909.jpg|The bridge as it looked in 1909
During ], the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the German army during their retreat at the advance of the British ] on 4 August 1944, unlike all the other bridges in Florence.<ref>''Encyclopædia Britannica'' online, ''.</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Brucker|first=Gene|title=Renaissance Florence|publisher=University of California Press|year=1983|isbn=0-520-04695-1|pages=8}}</ref> This was, according to many locals and tour guides, because of an express order by ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Rumour has it... Hitler and the Ponte Vecchio|url=http://www.timetravelturtle.com/2012/04/ponte-vecchio-florence-hitler/|access-date=20 November 2012|publisher=Time Travel Turtle}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=A history of the Ponte Vecchio, Florence|url=http://www.holiday-velvet.com/guide/2009/11/florence-ponte-vecchio-history/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219172808/http://www.holiday-velvet.com/guide/2009/11/florence-ponte-vecchio-history/|archive-date=19 December 2012|access-date=20 November 2012|publisher=Holiday Velvet}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=6 January 2008|title=Florence: Walk with the Medicis over the Ponte Vecchio plebs|newspaper=The Independent|location=London|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/florence-walk-with-the-medicis-over-the-ponte-vecchio-plebs-768460.html|access-date=20 November 2012}}</ref> Access to the Ponte Vecchio was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings at both ends of the bridge, which have since been rebuilt using a combination of original and modern designs.
Image:Ponte-Vecchio-and-the-River-Arno.JPG|Ponte Vecchio and the River Arno in June, 1983

Image:CorridorVasari.jpg|View from the ]
The bridge was severely damaged in the ].<ref> at web site of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz</ref>
File:Ponte Vecchio with Scullers.jpg|A four-person scull passes under the middle span of the bridge in 2009

Image:Ponte vecchio bridge in florence .jpg|Ponte Vecchio during the height of the Summer tourist season.
Between 2005 and 2006, 5,500 padlocks, known as ], which were attached to the railings around the bust of Cellini, were removed by the city council. According to the council, the padlocks were aesthetically displeasing and damaged the bust and its railings. There is now a fine for attaching love locks to the bridge.<ref name='flor'>{{cite news | title = Florence tries to stamp out locks of love | date = 1 May 2006 | url = http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/tuscany/florence-tries-stamp-out-locks-love | work = Italy Mag | access-date = 17 June 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120826222438/http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/tuscany/florence-tries-stamp-out-locks-love | archive-date = 26 August 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
File:Ponte Vecchio Vasari.jpg|Ponte Vecchio and Vasari Corridor form Galleria degli Uffizi

File:PV SunDial.jpg|The 14th-century sundial on the Ponte Vecchio
An announcement in April 2024 stated that work would be completed on the bridge, including a cleaning, an upgrade of the replacement joints previously installed, strengthening of the stone and restoration of the footpath's stone.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://amp.nine.com.au/article/ff1e9981-c25d-476b-9f5b-ad26be4cbb09|title=Florence's famed Ponte Vecchio to be restored to former glory with two-year makeover|date=15 April 2024|work=Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Limited|access-date=16 April 2024|quote=}}</ref>
Image:Padlocks-ponte-vechio-204a.jpg|Padlocks on the railing of the statue of Cellini

</gallery>
==Panorama==

{{wide image|Panorama of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.jpg|1024px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of the Ponte Vecchio, from the west.}}

==In art==
* The bridge is mentioned in the aria "]" by ].
* Wall ] in ], executed by students of ] under supervision
{{comparison_of_notable_bridges.svg}}


==See also== ==See also==
{{Commons}}
*]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==References== ==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}} {{Reflist|30em}}


==References==
*]: ''A History of Architecture'' (London: The Butterworth Group, 1987, ISBN 0-408-01587-X) pp.&nbsp;756–757
*Chiarugi, Andrea, 'Maintenance of the Ponte Vecchio historical bridge in Florence', in ''Extending the Lifespan of Structures'', Vol. 2 (San Francisco: Symposium Report, 1995) pp.&nbsp;1479–1484 * Chiarugi, Andrea, Foraboschi, Paolo, "Maintenance of the Ponte Vecchio historical bridge in Florence," in: ''Extending the Lifespan of Structures, Vol. 2,'' ] Symposium Report, San Francisco 1995, pp.&nbsp;1479–1484
* {{cite book | author=] | title=Bridges: A History of the World's Most Spectacular Spans | publisher=Hachette/Black Dog & Leventhal Press | place=New York | year=2017 | isbn=978-0-316-47380-4}}
*Graf, Bernhard, ''Bridges that Changed the World'' (Munich, Germany: Prestel, 2002, ISBN 3791327011) pp.&nbsp;38–39
* {{cite journal | last=Flanigan | first=Theresa | title=The Ponte Vecchio and the Art of Urban Planning in Late Medieval Florence | journal=Gesta | volume=47 | year=2008 | pages=1–15 | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/20648957}}
* {{cite book | author=] | title=A History of Architecture | publisher=The Butterworth Group | place=London | year=1987 | isbn=0-408-01587-X | pages=756–757}}
* {{cite book | last=Graf | first=Bernhard | title=Bridges that Changed the World | publisher=Prestel | place=Munich | year=2002 | isbn=3-7913-2701-1 | pages=38–39}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category|Ponte Vecchio}} * {{structurae|id=20000472|title=Ponte Vecchio}}
* on travel website Numberonestars.com (archived in 2007)
*
* on private tourist website Travel-to-Florence.com
* {{structurae|id=s0000472|title=Ponte Vecchio}}
*
*


{{Florence landmarks}} {{Florence landmarks}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 16:34, 8 January 2025

Bridge in Florence, Italy For other uses, see Ponte Vecchio (disambiguation).
Ponte Vecchio
Coordinates43°46′05″N 11°15′11″E / 43.76799°N 11.25316°E / 43.76799; 11.25316
CrossesArno
LocaleFlorence, Italy
Characteristics
DesignClosed-spandrel segmental stone arch bridge
Longest span30 metres (98 ft)
Location

The Ponte Vecchio (Italian pronunciation: [ˈponte ˈvɛkkjo]; "Old Bridge") is a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno, in Florence, Italy. The only bridge in Florence spared from destruction during World War II, it is noted for the shops built along it; building shops on such bridges was once a common practice. Butchers, tanners, and farmers initially occupied the shops; the present tenants are jewellers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers. The Ponte Vecchio's two neighbouring bridges are the Ponte Santa Trinita and the Ponte alle Grazie.

The bridge connects Via Por Santa Maria (Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli and Lungarno degli Archibusieri) to Via de' Guicciardini (Borgo San Jacopo and Via de' Bardi).

The name was given to what was the oldest Florentine bridge when the Ponte alla Carraia was built, then called Ponte Nuovo in contrast to the old one. Beyond the historical value, the bridge over time has played a central role in the city road system, starting from when it connected the Roman Florentia with the Via Cassia Nova commissioned by the emperor Hadrian in 123 AD.

In contemporary times, despite being closed to vehicular traffic, the bridge is crossed by a considerable pedestrian flow generated both by its fame and by the fact that it connects places of high tourist interest on the two banks of the river: Piazza del Duomo, Piazza della Signoria on one side with the area of Palazzo Pitti and Santo Spirito in the Oltrarno.

The bridge appears in the list drawn up in 1901 by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Fine Arts, as a monumental building to be considered national artistic heritage.

History and construction

The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point where it is believed that a bridge was first built in Roman times, when the via Cassia crossed the river at this point. The Roman piers were of stone, the superstructure of wood. The bridge first appears in a document of 996 and was destroyed by a flood in 1117 and reconstructed in stone. In 1218 the Ponte alla Carraia, a wooden structure, was established nearby which led to it being referred to as "Ponte Nuovo" relative to the older (Vecchio) structure. It was swept away again in 1333 except for two of its central piers, as noted by Giovanni Villani in his Nuova Cronica. It was rebuilt in 1345.

This location marks one of the earliest crossings of the Arno in Florence, possibly originating from Roman times or even before. Although floods have repeatedly damaged it, the current bridge has stood since approximately 1339-1345. For many years, the only older bridge in the city was the Rubaconte bridge, built nearly a century earlier. But after significant 19th-century modifications and its destruction in 1944, the Ponte Vecchio claimed its title as the oldest bridge in Florence.

Giorgio Vasari recorded the traditional view of his day that attributed its design to Taddeo Gaddi— besides Giotto one of the few artistic names of the trecento still recalled two hundred years later. Modern historians present Neri di Fioravanti as a possible candidate as the builder.

Sheltered in a little loggia at the central opening of the bridge is a weathered dedication stone, which once read Nel trentatrè dopo il mille-trecento, il ponte cadde, per diluvio dell' acque: poi dieci anni, come al Comun piacque, rifatto fu con questo adornamento. The Torre dei Mannelli was built at the southeast corner of the bridge to defend it.

The bridge consists of three segmental arches: the main arch has a span of 30 meters (98 feet), and the two side arches each span 27 meters (89 feet). The rise of the arches is between 3.5 and 4.4 metres (11½ to 14½ feet), and the span-to-rise ratio is 5:1. The shallow segmental arches, which require fewer piers than the semicircular arch traditionally used by Romans, enabled ease of access and navigation for animal-drawn carts. Another notable design element is the large piazza at the center of the bridge that Leon Battista Alberti described as a prominent ornament in the city.

A stone with an inscription from Dante (Paradiso xvi. 140-7) records the spot at the entrance to the bridge where Buondelmonte de' Buondelmonti was murdered by the Amidei clan in 1215, which began the urban fighting of the Guelfs and Ghibellines.

The bridge has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables before their premises, after authorization by the Bargello (a sort of a lord mayor, a magistrate and a police authority).

Later additions and changes

Vasari Corridor from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti

In order to connect the Palazzo Vecchio (Florence's town hall) with the Palazzo Pitti, in 1565 Cosimo I de' Medici had Giorgio Vasari build the Vasari Corridor, part of which runs above the Ponte Vecchio.

To enhance the prestige and clean up the bridge, a decree was made in 1565 that excluded butchers from this bridge (only goldsmiths and jewellers are allowed) that is in effect to this day. The association of butchers had monopolized the shops on the bridge since 1442.

The back shops (retrobotteghe) that may be seen from upriver were added in the seventeenth century.

20th century

In 1900, to honour and mark the fourth century of the birth of the great Florentine sculptor and master goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, the leading goldsmiths of the bridge commissioned the Florentine sculptor, Raffaello Romanelli, to create a bronze bust of Cellini to stand atop a fountain in the middle of the Eastern side of the bridge, where it stands to this day.

Damage shown shortly after liberation in August 1944 during World War II

During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the German army during their retreat at the advance of the British 8th Army on 4 August 1944, unlike all the other bridges in Florence. This was, according to many locals and tour guides, because of an express order by Hitler. Access to the Ponte Vecchio was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings at both ends of the bridge, which have since been rebuilt using a combination of original and modern designs.

The bridge was severely damaged in the 1966 flood of the Arno.

Between 2005 and 2006, 5,500 padlocks, known as love locks, which were attached to the railings around the bust of Cellini, were removed by the city council. According to the council, the padlocks were aesthetically displeasing and damaged the bust and its railings. There is now a fine for attaching love locks to the bridge.

An announcement in April 2024 stated that work would be completed on the bridge, including a cleaning, an upgrade of the replacement joints previously installed, strengthening of the stone and restoration of the footpath's stone.

Panorama

Panoramic view of the Ponte Vecchio, from the west.

In art


A comparison of the side elevation of the Ponte Vecchio to the side elevations of some of the most notable bridges around the world on the same scale (click for interactive version)

See also

Notes

  1. "Dizionario d'ortografia e di pronunzia" (in Italian). Rai. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  2. ^ Ponte Vecchio. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2007.
  3. ^ Dupré, Judith (2017). Bridges: A History of the World's Most Spectacular Spans (Google Books). New York: Hachette/Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-0-316-47380-4. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  4. ^ Touring Club Italiano, Firenze e dintorni 1964:321
  5. ^ Zucconi, Guido (1995). Florence: An Architectural Guide. San Giovanni Lupatoto, Vr, Italy: Arsenale Editrice srl. ISBN 88-7743-147-4.
  6. Bartlett, Kenneth R. (1992). The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company. ISBN 0-669-20900-7 (Paperback). Page 40.
  7. Melaragno, Michele G (1998). Preliminary Design of Bridges for Architects and Engineers. Marcel Dekker. p. 3. ISBN 0-8247-0184-4.
  8. Translated it would read, "In the thirty-third year following thirteen hundred, the bridge fell, from a watery flood: ten years later, at the pleasure of the Commune, it was rebuilt, with this adornment". (Touring Club Italiano, Firenze e dintorni 1964:321)
  9. Ponte Vecchio at Structurae. Retrieved on 2007-02-16
  10. Haegen, Anne Mueller von der; Strasser, Ruth F. (2013). "Ponte Vecchio". Art & Architecture: Tuscany. Potsdam: H.F.Ullmann Publishing. p. 216. ISBN 978-3-8480-0321-1.
  11. "Raffaello Romanelli". Galleria Romanelli. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  12. Encyclopædia Britannica online, 'Ponte Vecchio'.
  13. Brucker, Gene (1983). Renaissance Florence. University of California Press. p. 8. ISBN 0-520-04695-1.
  14. "Rumour has it... Hitler and the Ponte Vecchio". Time Travel Turtle. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  15. "A history of the Ponte Vecchio, Florence". Holiday Velvet. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  16. "Florence: Walk with the Medicis over the Ponte Vecchio plebs". The Independent. London. 6 January 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  17. Ponte Vecchio at web site of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz
  18. "Florence tries to stamp out locks of love". Italy Mag. 1 May 2006. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  19. "Florence's famed Ponte Vecchio to be restored to former glory with two-year makeover". Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Limited. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.

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