Visit Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence

Are you passing through the beautiful city of Florence? Don't miss visiting the Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Tuscany!

The Ponte Vecchio... Florence You can't miss it! It’s a little the Pont des Arts de la Tuscany, you see? Florence is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Italy , and this bridge is not there for nothing. A true city-museum, Florence gathers only 25% of the works of the Italian artistic heritage. With its 16 million visitors a year, it is also the third most visited city in Europe, and you will quickly understand why...

The time of a shopping trip to buy jewelry, seal his love with a padlock or simply watch the sunset on the Arno , you cannot visit the capital of the Tuscany without passing on this mythical bridge!

Discover here all the practical information to visit the Ponte Vecchio in Florence!

The Ponte Vecchio

Built in 1345 by Taddeo Gaddi , a student of Giotto di Bondone, the Old Bridge is the oldest stone bridge in Europe. The construction of a solid bridge was more than necessary because the first, which was built in wood at the time of the Roman Empire, was destroyed by a flood. The Ponte Vecchio is supported by three arcs, the largest of which is 30 meters and the other two 27 meters!

It was at the time a protected passage that the Medici family borrowed, via the Corridor of Vasari, to reach the Palazzo Pitti since Palazzo Vecchio safe. The suspended houses that you can see were occupied by charcutiers, fish and tanneries in the 15th and 16th centuries. The latter had to be folded in 1593 because Ferdinand I of Medici did not bear the smells. They were replaced by craftsmen – jewelers and silversmiths – who still occupy the arcades of this Florentine emblem.

The bridge has since undergone some modifications, especially in 1939 when Adolf Hitler had come to see Benito Mussolini to conclude the alliance of the Nazis and fascists. The three panoramic windows were opened in the centre of the Vasari Corridor, where you can now admire the magnificent view it offers on the Arno River and the bridges that cross it. A true witness of the past, Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence not to have been destroyed by the Germans during the Second World War.

What to see and do at Ponte Vecchio?

Very popular with tourists from all over the world (and free!), we come to visit the Ponte Vecchio to stroll, sometimes looking for jewelry and jewelry in the few shops, hang a padlock to seal his love with his half or listen to street artists. You will also be seduced by the view it offers on the Arno, with on one side the Pont Sainte-Trinité and the other, under the arcades, Office Museum (Galleria degli Uffizi), the Beffroi du Palais Vecchio and the hills around Florence.

In the middle of the bridge is the bust of Benvenuto Cellini, the master of the Florentine and European silversmithery. It was inaugurated on the day of the marriage of the son of Ferdinand 1st of Medici. Among the wonders of Cellini, « Persia holding the head of Medusa » is a masterpiece always visible under the Lanzi Lodge of Piazza della Signoria.

Sometimes open, sometimes closed, the mysterious Corridor Vasari, which is above Ponte Vecchio, is to visit if you can. You can see portraits and self-portraits of the 17th and 18th centuries of the Medici family. Currently closed for refurbishment, pay attention to sites that offer site visits...! It should reopen in 2020.

Visit the Ponte Vecchio will allow you to visit many monuments and places of interest: - Office Gallery (209 m) - Galilee Museum (228 m) - Piazza della Signoria (274 m) - Palazzo Vecchio (281 m) - Museo Nazionale del Bargello (478 m)

Good to know: The Ponte Vecchio is fully accessible to people with reduced mobility and never closes.

How to get to Ponte Vecchio?

Between street of Santa Maria and Guicciardini Street , you can visit the Ponte Vecchio on foot or :

• By bus

Get down to the Ponte Vecchio or Bardi, lines C3 and C4

• By car

If you came with your car or opted for it car rental , you can try to park nearby. Do not hesitate to read our article « Cheap car park in Florence: where to park in Florence? » for more information!

To find you in Florence, read our article « Detailed maps and plans of Florence “