The story of the Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio, "Old Bridge", was rebuilt in stone in 1345 after a flood. In 1593 the Medici ruler ordered the butchers on the bridge to be replaced by goldsmiths and jewellers, who still trade here today.
Above the shops runs the Vasari Corridor, built in 1565 so the Medici could walk privately between their palaces. In 1944 it was the only Florentine bridge not destroyed during the Second World War.
