The shops on the Ponte Vecchio, a wholly stone, closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge, which crosses the river Arno in Florence
Attributed to Neri di Fioravanti (1348), who replaced an old wooden bridge destroyed by the flood of 1333 (it was damaged in 1944 by the retreating Germans and by the flood of Nov. 4, 1966). The Ponte Vecchio (meaning Old Bridge), with its small characteristic shops is known throughout the world as the jeweler's' bridge; formerly there were butcher shops. Above the shops on the left hand side, is the Vasarian Corridor that joins the Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace. This was a "secret" corridor to connect the political center of the city with Palazzo Pitti (New Palace), the new grand-ducal residence on the other side of the Arno River. The Vasari corridor is a raised passageway (about 1 km!) starting from the Uffizi and crossing the Arno above the Ponte Vecchio. The corridor houses a precious collection of self portraits from the 17th until the 20th century.
Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: Ponte Vecchio, Florence
Photo credit: © George Brice / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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