Who lives on ponte vecchio. The history of florence on the ponte vecchio
Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio) in Florence over the Arno River in 1345 on the site of an ancient Roman bridge demolished by a flood. Initially, there were butchers' shops, carcasses of animals were butchered on the spot, and the waste was thrown into the river. In general, the smell around was quite powerful, especially in the summer heat.
Soon, the Old Bridge became the site of a bustling city trade. The merchants' shops were located right on the bridge. Presumably, the concept of "bankruptcy" appeared here. If the merchant could not pay the debts, then the city guards broke his shop. So from the two words "counter" (banco) and "broken" (rotto) came the word "bankrupt".
According to legend, Mussolini made the windows in the center of the bridge for Hitler so that the Fuhrer could admire the view of Florence. According to one version, Hitler wanted to blow up the bridge during the retreat, but partisans prevented him.
This is the first bridge in history to use such arches in its construction. The bridge consists of three arches, the length of the central arch is 30 meters, the height is 4.4 meters, the side arches are smaller: length - 27 meters, height - 3.5 meters.
This time the weather was lucky.
Old bridge at the beginning of the 20th century
In the 16th century, the ruler of Florence, Duke Cosimo I Medici, drew attention to the area of the Old Bridge, at the will of the Duke, rich jewelry shops were located here. The old bridge received the second name "Golden Bridge", the status of which has changed dramatically.
"There is a bridge in Florence called the Old Bridge. It is still built up with houses, in these houses there were workshops for gold and silver products.
True, those were not products in the modern sense: dressing of gold and silver things today is a craft; formerly it was art, which is why there was nothing in the world more wonderful than these workshops, or rather, the objects that adorned them; there were round onyx goblets girded with writhing dragons - fabulous monsters raised their heads, stretched out their azure wings, strewn with golden stars, and, gaping their fire-breathing mouths, looked menacingly at each other with their ruby eyes ...
And all this was not only skillfully executed, but conceived with poetic inspiration; not only charming, as charming trinkets for decorating a ladies' boudoir, but magnificent as the greatest works of art that can immortalize the reign of a king or the spirit of a nation ... "- this is how Alexander Dumas described the Old Bridge in his novel Ascanio.
Duke Cosimo I Medici, who made the Old Bridge Golden.
Eleanor Toledskaya, wife of Cosimo Medici. (Grandmother of the French Queen Marie de Medici)
In honor of the wedding of his son Francesco and Princess Jeanne of Austria, the ruler ordered the construction of a corridor connecting the two city squares of Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, which passed over the buildings of the bridge.
The Medici family was not noble, came from a family of bankers, and Cosimo wanted to impress his new royal relatives.
Heir apparent - Francesco Medici
His bride is Princess Jeanne of Austria, for whom a secret corridor was built.
Judging by the portrait, the princess was capricious.
Cosimo Medici ordered dormers to be made in the gallery above the bridge in order to eavesdrop on what the commoners say about him.
The secret passage was named the Vasari Corridor in honor of the architect who embodied the Medici idea.
Street art on the theme of the Middle Ages
Now in the Vasari Corridor there is an art gallery, which also contains works by Russian artists Kustodiev and Kiprensky.
The road from the bridge to the central square.
Mannelli Tower
The Vasari corridor ran through the city buildings. The noble Mannelly family was the only one who resisted the passage of the Corridor through their property, as they did for other buildings. Mannelli insisted that the Corridor be built around the tower.
Legend has it that the Mannelly family paid a Medici tax for several years for their intervention in the project.
"At noon, cats look under the benches to see if they are black.
shadows. On the Old Bridge - now it has been repaired -
where it busts against the blue hills of Cellini,
they are smartly selling all kinds of branzulets;
waves touch the branch, murmuring branch after branch.
And golden strands bending over rare
the thing of a beauty rummaging between boxes
under the frenzied gaze of young merchants,
seem to be the trail of an angel in the power of the blackheads. "
As the poet Joseph Brodsky wrote.
In 1901, a monument to Benvenuto Cellini, the famous sculptor and jeweler of the 16th century, was erected on the bridge. Those who are familiar with the work of A. Dumas have probably read the novel "Ascanio" about the adventures of this talented man.
Monument to the jeweler Benvenuto Cellini on the Old Bridge. Nearby is a building on the roof of which (top right) you can see medieval sundial installed in the XIV century.
View from the Old Bridge to the Arno River.
During the Second World War, when the German troops left Florence, it was decided to blow up all the bridges of the city in order to delay the rapid advance of the enemy. Five of the six bridges were actually blown up, but the sixth is a bridge Ponte Vecchio in Florence was miraculously saved.
History and description of the famous bridge of Florence
The bridge has been connecting the banks of the Arno River since time immemorial, so its current name translates as "Old Bridge". Probably, the bridge was built here during the time of the Etruscans, and with the arrival of the Romans it was already rebuilt in a new wooden look. Since that time, the bridge has always stood in this place, and after the destruction it is diligently rebuilt anew.
The Arno River is distinguished by its rugged behavior. Throughout history, her hostile attitude has completely destroyed the bridge many times. One of the first documented evidence of such an event dates back to the distant 972. Further, there is a series of restoration and destruction, until in 1332 a stone bridge was erected on this site.
By this time, the city has acquired several more bridges across the Arno. But the severe flood of 1333 once again makes its own amendments to the city plan. The water level in the central square of Florence at that time exceeded a meter, the city walls were damaged, more than 300 people died. Mars was considered the patron saint of the city, whose statue was installed at the entrance of Ponte Vecchio, but the flood did not spare her either. Later, a statue of St. John the Baptist was installed in its place, and since then, the elements have no longer disturbed the strength of the bridge.
After the flood, Ner di Fioravante and Taddeo Gaddi took on the challenge of sustaining the bridge. In 1335-1345, they carried out work on the construction and strengthening of a new bridge, which was no longer supposed to collapse under the onslaught of clearing water. Since that time, the bridge has stood to this day, becoming business card Florence.
The use of segmented arches made it the first bridge of this type in all of Europe. The covered bridge consists of three arches that rise 4.4 meters. The central span reaches 30 meters, the lateral ones are slightly less - 27 meters each. It is noteworthy that the bridge is made wide - as much as 32 meters.
From the Middle Ages to the present day, there are merchants' shops on the bridge. Initially, there were butchers and tanners here, but a clever council decided to remove them from the symbol of Florence, replacing them with “noble” jewelers and other precious metal craftsmen. The statue of Benvenuto Cellini, the patron saint of Italian jewelers, is reminiscent of this.
Benvenuto Cellini
In 1565, the bridge was supplemented with a covered gallery connecting Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti. The architect of the building was Vasari, therefore it is called the “Vasarino corridor”. The gallery located above the shops of the merchants offers excellent views of the Arno River and Florence.
Vasarino corridor
Another major flood occurred in 1966. All the shops were washed away, but the Ponte Vecchio bridge survived. A truly eternal bridge that is renowned for being popular with tourists visiting the glorious city of Florence.
This bridge is considered the oldest in all of Florence, and yet it is unlike any other bridge in Italy. The arched bridge, thrown over the narrowest point of the Arno River, has retained its almost pristine appearance to this day since its construction in 1345.
Sights history
The current Ponte Vecchio in Florence today spans the Arno River and is a subject of keen interest among tourists. It represents the third crossing of the river, built in this place in Italy.
The first viaduct was built in the era Ancient Rome ... It was made of wood and stood on stone pylons. After much outlived its builders, the ferry was destroyed in 1117 by a severe flood. The second bridge, built taking into account previous construction mistakes, lasted almost two centuries, but it suffered the same fate as the first - the strongest Arno flood in 1333 destroyed Ponte Vecchio almost to the ground.
During the construction of the third viaduct, the architects had to work hard to finally find a solution in which the crossing would be strong enough to withstand the onslaught of water in the event of a river overflow. By the way, this had to be verified in practice - many centuries later, in 1966, another rise in water flooded both Ponte Vecchio and the Vasari gallery, causing damage to both artisan shops and priceless works of art ...
In the meantime, in the XIV century, Florentine architects were deciding how to combine architectural grace and strength of the structure. By the way, historians are still racking their brains - who owns the authorship who is the architect of the project really? The fact is that according to some documents, Taddeo Gaddi is called the architect of the building, and later sources claim that the project belongs to Neri di Fioravante.
The name of the bridge is translated from Italian as "Old Bridge".
Ponte Vecchio received its second name - Golden - not because it is an architectural value. Since the 16th century, merchants of one or another commodity settled on the bridge. having received permission from the municipality to build shops. And the largest number of these shops belonged to jewelers. To this day, only one store has survived, which began trading since those times - a jewelry store belonging to the Pecchini family.
According to medieval traditions, Ponte Vecchio was divided into 38 sections, on which the trade was conducted. The merchants lived here, on the same plots. Moreover, the store's area was barely enough to accommodate goods, so the shops were expanded and built on - they literally hung above the water. Today we can see a panorama of the sights and small houses, as if clinging to it on the sides. By the way, shops and shops today have almost the same appearance as in the 16th century.
In the 20th century, during the Second World War, the bridge by a lucky chance escaped the fate of being destroyed. In 1938, Adolf Hitler arrived in Florence on a visit. He got acquainted with the main sights of the city, visited, on the Ponte Vecchio bridge - an observation deck was specially built for the arrival of the Fuhrer. A few years later, during the war, during the retreat of German soldiers, many buildings (including historical ones) were blown up, but Ponte Vecchio escaped a similar fate.
According to one version, Hitler was unwittingly admired by the resistance of the Resistance fighters who defended the bridge and the palaces that surrounded it; according to another version, he simply could not forget the amazing panorama of the Arno River from observation deck Ponte Vecchio ...
Want to know more about the sights of Florence? Check out the history of the construction of the famous cathedral located on the territory of the city!
Florence legends associated with the construction
Residents love to tell stories and legends associated with this attraction. In particular, stories about how and why jewelry shops appeared on the viaduct. There are three historical versions of this fact.
According to the first version, in 1442 a special decree was issued so that all meat and fish traders move to one, strictly defined, place in the city, so that unpleasant smells do not offend the sense of smell of noble gentlemen in palaces.
By order of the city rulers, all fish and butcher shops were now located in the area of the Ponte Vecchio ferry. This continued until, in 1556, by order of the Duke of Tuscan Cosimo Medici, the Vasari Corridor was built, which also connected the Palazzo Pitti.
Every time, passing along the Vasari corridor, the Tuscan ruler frowned and covered his nose- it was not the aristocratic smells of fish and meat that reached him, as well as the smell of spoiled goods that were dumped into the river. His son Ferdinando, who became ruler after his father, was not so tolerant.
During one passage from the Old Palace to the Pitti palazzo, Ferdinando was so angry at the horrific odors that he ordered all butchers and fishmongers to be driven out, and others to be opened in the place of their shops. Thus, jewelers' shops appeared on the bridge, which were visited by a more sophisticated audience.
The second version says that the Vasari corridor served not only as a secret passage of the rulers from one palace to another. Standing in a secret corridor directly above the shopping arcade, Ferdinando Medici could hear all the conversations of merchants and their customers through special round windows in the corridor. And these conversations were not always pleasant to the ear of the ruler. Ordinary people did not hesitate to discuss political topics and the personality of the ruler himself. Therefore, the duke ordered to get rid of the commoners, and for doubled rent goldsmiths settled here in 1593.
The third version is no less interesting, and it concerns the daughter of Ferdinando Medici. The young princess, passing along the Vasari corridor, became an involuntary listener to all the dialogues on the bridge. And since ordinary people traded and bought there, who were not shy in expressions, the dictionary of the Medici's daughter was greatly replenished - however, with words far from those that were accepted in palaces. Having heard the lexicon of traders from his daughter, Ferdinando, in anger, drove out all the fish and meat traders.
There is also a belief that the word "bankrupt" was born on the Ponte Vecchio bridge... If the merchant did not pay the rent on time and the debts ran up, then the counter (banko), on which he traded, was smashed by the sentry sent by the authorities (rotto).
That is, literally the word "bankrupt" or "bankruptcy" means "broken counter" (or bankrupt bank). And if the counter was broken ("bankorotto"), then there was nothing to trade on.
The Arno River in the Ponte Vecchio area is also called the "gold mine", and in the literal sense. The fact is that during the flood in 1966, the water rose by several meters. Almost all the shops were flooded with water. Some of the merchants who arrived here on the calls of the night watchmen were able to save some of their goods. The rest of the shops were flooded, and some of the gold jewelry was washed away by the receding water. Of course, work on the search for the missing jewelry was carried out in the waters of the Arno for many years, but without much results.
What he is today
There are currently 10 ferries thrown across the Arno, and all of them have been rebuilt and restored (especially after the raids during the Second World War). Everything except the Golden Bridge. The appearance of the Ponte Vecchio has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. in 1345. A classic three-arch viaduct, the central arch is 30 meters long, and the two side ones are 27 meters long. The height of the vaults of the Ponte Vecchio is from 3.5 to 4.4 meters.
Ponte Vecchio today is a series of jewelry stores and a small observation deck... This site offers a wonderful panoramic view of the Arno River. Looking at the muddy water of a calm and unhurried river, it is difficult to imagine that this river once carried a direct threat to the city. Photos can be taken from the observation deck. But if you walk from Piazza Señoria along the Arno, you can take an equally gorgeous panoramic shot of the attraction itself - beautiful arches over the water.
The bridge looks especially beautiful at night - illuminated by many lights, it becomes a meeting place and a landmark for tourists.
The stores offer a wide range of gold and platinum items.
True, tourists stop to look more than to buy - the prices for these products are quite high. For an inconspicuous-looking gold ring, you need to pay at least 200 euros.
On the west side of the bridge is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini, Italian musician and sculptor of the Renaissance (bust by Rafaello Romanelli). One of the famous sculptural works of Master Cellini - the statue of Perseus with the severed head of Medusa the Gorgon - is located in Piazza Senoria. The installation and opening of the statue in 1901 was timed to coincide with Cellini's 400th anniversary.
Cellini's bust is surrounded by a small metal fence. This site has become a place of pilgrimage for newlyweds and couples in love.- as a sign of the inviolability of love and family ties, each couple hung a lock on the fence. Rumor has it that this idea belonged to the owner of a castle shop located near the erected bust. Either way, his business is booming. But the authorities of Florence did not like this custom - not only did the castles spoil the aesthetic appearance of the sculpture, so this tradition threatened the bridge itself, causing damage to it.
What is famous for the Vecchio Bridge in Florence: a little history and modernity. How Ponte Vecchio managed to survive the devastating floods and why it resembles from afar. Where is the old bridge of Florence, how to get to it on your own from the city center and what to see.
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest and most recognizable bridge in Florence. Not a single tourist avoids it. During its existence, it was repeatedly rebuilt again due to constant floods. Translated from Italian, its name Ponte vecchio means "Old Bridge". Today, guests of the city can see it in its original appearance, since almost nothing has changed here over many centuries.
Excursions in Florence and surroundings
Most interesting excursions in the capital of Tuscany - these are routes from local residents. We recommend starting with sightseeing tour(Ponte Vecchio in the program). And then choose a program with a twist - even a gastronomic tour, even an off-site route, even medieval Florence.
From the history of the Vecchio bridge
The decision to build the Ponte Vecchio at this point on the Arno was no coincidence. Once upon a time in its place stood a bridge with wooden superstructures from the times of the ancient Roman era. However, as a result of the flood, it was destroyed, and then rebuilt again, already of stone. But this did not help to cope with the flow of water. The structure was again demolished by a natural disaster in 1333. According to historians, the work on its restoration was entrusted to Neri di Fioravanti. The construction was completed in 1345. After that, the bridge remained for many centuries a place where a lively trade was conducted.
Interestingly, during the Second World War, Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed. The rest of the historical buildings in the city were much less fortunate, many of them were badly damaged.
From the middle of the 15th century, butchers' shops from all over Florence were moved here. Their number turned out to be much more than expected, then it was decided to make several additional extensions.
Over time, the straight line of buildings running on both sides of the bridge has changed a lot due to various transformations. In 1556, by order of Duke Cosimo I of Medici, the so-called Vasari Corridor, passing over Ponte Vecchio itself. This corridor was named after the architect who created it. On it, the duke could easily move from the Palace of Vecchio to the residence on the other side of the Arno - the Pitti Palace.
Despite the fact that the bridge was rebuilt several times, it did not manage to survive the next flood in 1966. A natural disaster struck the city, causing many buildings to be damaged. Of course, everything has been restored and restored for decades, but the city authorities had to bear colossal costs.
Attractions Ponte Vecchio
In the western part of the building, there is a bust of the Italian jeweler and artist Benvenuto Cellini. It was created by a sculpture by the name of Rafaello Romanelli, who was born in Florence. The tradition of hanging the so-called "locks of love" on the fences around the statue is popular among city residents and tourists.
* This "sweet" habit is followed by unrestrained lovers around the world - in particular, wrought iron gratings suffer from it, the fences of the bridge of lovers in Paris have recently collapsed, and local residents often oppose the marginal "tradition".
Entrance to the Vecchio Bridge from the embankment
Jewelry shop on the bridge (Florence, Italy)
Jewelry as a souvenir (Vecchio Bridge, Florence)
On the very Ponte Vecchio, there are also shops, shops and workshops. You can buy mainly gold products, jewelry and themed souvenirs from Florence (postcards, magnets, ceramic plates, key rings, travel guides).
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to get to that part of Kodidor Vasari, which is located directly above the bridge, since it is closed to outsiders. The main reason is the unsatisfactory state of the structure, which, although not on the verge of collapse, is still not adapted to the tourist load. Perhaps the authorities will attend to this problem and solve the problem with access, because the multi-story superstructure above Ponte Vecchio invariably raises questions and raises the hearts of travelers. Everyone dreams of going through the "dear Medici" from the Vecchio Palace to the Pitti!
Where is it and how to get there
Florence's old bridge is located between Via Calimala on one side of the river and Via d'Guicciardini- another. The bus stop closest to the Vecchio Bridge is called Ponte Vecchio. To get to it, you need to take route C3 or D.
But the easiest way is to walk, Ponte Vecchio is just a few steps from Piazzale degli uffizi, that is, from the central, which is rarely overlooked in Florence.
Ponte Vecchio on Florence map
Vecchio Bridge (Florence) located at: Ponte Vecchio, 50125 Firenze FI
Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence (Italy), it is a three-arch bridge that was built on the site of two previous bridges: the bridge of the ancient Roman era, the bridge that collapsed in 1117, and the bridge that was demolished by the flood of 1333. Now Ponte Vecchio is a symbol of the city and perhaps its most striking place.
The Ponte Vecchio bridge was built in 1345 by the architect Neri di Fioravante, who designed and created a fairly solid structure, it was supposed to be much stronger than the previous bridge, which could not withstand the floods in 1333. Although the structure of the current bridge is quite strong, in 1966 the Vecchio Bridge was badly damaged during the large flood of the Arno River.
The most striking feature that distinguishes the Vecchio Bridge from others is the houses on both sides of it. In the center of the bridge spans, a number of buildings are interrupted and turn into an open area from which you can admire the river and other bridges of the city. In 1565, by order of Cosimo I Medici, the “Vasari Corridor” was built, the Uffizi Gallery and the Vasari Corridor, a covered walkway that runs over the Ponte Vecchio and connects the Uffizi with Palazzo Pitti, which was used exclusively by members of the court.
Along the corridor there are strange small round windows with bars, according to legend, they were created by order of the ruler to eavesdrop on what people are talking about below on the bridge. At that time, butchers' shops were located in the lower part of the bridge, but over time, unpleasant smells of perishable food began to emanate from the market, and in 1593 he categorically banned the sale of perishable products here, and jewelry stores and workshops appeared in their place on Ponte Vecchio. In this regard, they began to call it the "Golden Bridge".
During World War II, Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the Germans during their retreat on August 4, 1944, unlike all other bridges in Florence. A special order from Hitler was given to leave the bridge unharmed. Access to it was, however, hampered by collapsed buildings on both sides of the river. Later, all the buildings were rebuilt, some of them according to the original projects, and some of them according to new ones.
An interesting fact, the word "bankrupt" came from here. He once traded on the Ponte Vecchio bridge, a seller whose trade was so unprofitable that he could not pay for a place and went into debt, for this he was beaten by soldiers and his trading store (banco) was once destroyed (rotto) and he could not engage in trade more. After that, the process of debt squabbles of those times fit into the familiar word "bancorotto" or "broken table": no table - no trade.