FLORENCE’S BRIDGE OF GOLD: PONTE VECCHIO

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While modern travelers know the bridge for its illustrious jewelry shops, its history will make it even more interesting. Beneath the glitz of gold chains is a bridge that has stood the test of time. It is the location, not the wares themselves, that make this place so special. A gold necklace can be purchased almost anywhere, but gold purchased on the Ponte Vecchio is not just gold. It is an experience.

The Ponte Vecchio – literally the “Old Bridge” – has been a fixture of Florence’s ancient streets since the 13th century. When it was built it served as the first bridge across the Arno, and since then has endured hundreds of years and numerous wars. After World War II it was once again the only bridge in Florence.

While the bridge’s history is long, it was not always so glamorous. It once housed shops of numerous varieties (not just the jewelers it is known for today) and the atmosphere would have been unrecognizable. Butchers dumped their waste into the river, making the bridge a place to run errands and otherwise avoid entirely. That changed when the Medici family – famous for their patronage of the arts that made Florence a center of the Renaissance – moved in across the river and began to use the bridge frequently when getting around the city. It was the Medici’s who converted the bridge into a place for jewelers and gold salesmen.