Golden Bridge in Florence. History of Florence on the Ponte Vecchio. Construction of the Ponte Vecchio and its features

Ponte Vecchio (Ponte Vecchio, translated from Italian “old bridge”) - one of the symbols glorious city Florence (Italy) and one of the most famous bridges in the world. Spread across the narrowest point of the Arno River, where in ancient times there was a ford, it is a 95-meter arched masterpiece of stone, built back in 1345 and still retaining its original appearance.
In the world Ponte Vecchio is better known as " golden bridge", which was assigned to him not at all for his ancient roots and architectural value. The fact is that earlier meat merchants were active there, which, according to the then ruler, Ferdinand I, not only annoyed those around him with an unpleasant smell, but also negatively affected its prestige. Soon the duke ordered to replace the butcher shops with jewelry stores and workshops. And so, starting from 1593, jewelers' shops began to appear along the bridge, who received the exclusive right to sell their creations here. As for the jewelry workshops, only one has survived to this day. , owned by the Peccini family.Since then and until today, the Golden Bridge concentrates in itself the largest number yellow gold jewelry throughout Florence. Platinum, white gold and gems are also very popular with tourists. There are always quite a lot of potential buyers there, however, many of them remain potential, since not everyone can overpower the prices for local jewelry.

The oldest bridge in Florence was built on the site of two previous bridges. The first was erected in the ancient Roman era, and, according to the testimony of imperial historians, stood on stone pylons and was covered with wooden flooring. He courageously survived the fall of Rome and stood until the flood that hit him in 1117. The second, already built of stone, was again subjected to the destructive power of the water that overflowed the banks of the Arno in 1333.
The Old Bridge acquired its modern appearance in 1345, when the architect Neri di Fioravanti connected the banks of the river stone structure, which is a beautiful and at the same time solid three-arch structure. On both sides of the bridge, according to the traditions of the Middle Ages, residential buildings were built. Over the centuries of its existence, the straight line of buildings was broken as a result of some transformations.
In 1444, in order to free the streets from the stench emanating from the butchers' shops scattered throughout the city, they were ordered to move to the shops located on the Ponte Vecchio bridge. Multiple shops made it, despite its modest size, a real medieval shopping center. But after more than a hundred years, as you know, they were replaced by jewelers.

In 1565, on the orders of Duke Cosimo I, the architect Giorgio Vasari built a kilometer-long corridor over the buildings located on the bridge, called the Vasari Corridor. With its help, the ruler could, without escort and obstacles, move from administrative center Palazzo Vecchio(Florence Town Hall) to the private residence of the Medici, Palazzo Pitti. Another positive aspect associated with the presence of the corridor was the ability to monitor the situation in the city through small windows, while remaining completely unnoticed. At the moment, it is closed to the public, and the only key to it is kept by a man named Roberto Zanieri. The lucky ones who manage to get into this mysterious place, will be able to see there the world's largest collection of self-portraits, which is located along the entire length of the walls of the Vasari corridor.

In 1938, during the reign of Mussolini, Ponte Vecchio was visited by Adolf Hitler, especially for whose arrival an observation deck with large panoramic windows was created in the central part of the Vasari Corridor, which have survived to this day. After the retreat of the Nazi troops, it was the only bridge in Florence that the Germans did not destroy during the hostilities in 1944.

The most beautiful bridge in Florence has survived many disasters over the centuries of its existence. In November 1966, a terrible flood hit the Ponte Vecchio, but he was able to withstand even when the water came up to the windows and penetrated inside, breaking shop windows with crushing force and carrying them away with the flow.
In the center of the Old Bridge, the rows of buildings are interrupted by two terraces, from which it is very convenient to admire the view of the Arno River and neighboring bridges. The eastern platform is topped by the Vasari Corridor, while the opposite platform is famous for the bust of Benvenuto Cellini, the most famous Florentine jeweler, whose memory is deeply revered in the professional environment. Created by the sculptor Rafael Romanelli, the monument was erected in memory of the merits of the jeweler on May 26, 1901.
The graceful Florentine Ponte Vecchio bridge with its charming arches and open area, framed by a series of houses, can be seen in the famous film "Perfumer: The Story of a Murderer" (2006).

Getting to Florence by a direct flight from Moscow will not work, so to see the Golden Bridge and other sights of the city, you need to look for tickets to major cities in northern Italy (for example, Milan or Rome), and from there you can go to Florence by bus or train. You can also get to Florence by train from Pisa, where there are direct flights from Russia.

The Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio) in Florence across the Arno River in 1345 on the site of an ancient Roman bridge, demolished by flood. Initially, butchers' shops were located here, animal carcasses were butchered on the spot, and waste was thrown into the river. In general, the smell around was very strong, especially in the summer heat.

Soon the Old Bridge became a bustling city trade site. Shops merchants were located right on the bridge. Presumably, the concept of "bankruptcy" appeared here. If the merchant could not pay his 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 the partisans prevented him.

This is the first bridge in history to use such arches. 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: the length is 27 meters, the height is 3.5 meters.

This time we got lucky with the weather.

Old bridge at the beginning of the 20th century

In the 16th century, the ruler of Florence, Duke Cosimo I de Medici, drew attention to the area of ​​the Old Bridge, at the behest 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; workshops of gold and silver items were located in these houses.

True, these were not products in the modern sense: the manufacture of gold and silver things is a craft today; before it was art. That is why there was nothing in the world more wonderful than these workshops, or, rather, the objects that adorned them; there were rounded onyx goblets girded with writhing dragons—fairy-tale monsters lifted their heads, stretched out their azure wings studded with golden stars, and, opening their fire-breathing maws, 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, like the greatest works of art that can immortalize the reign of a king or the spirit of a nation ... "- this is how Alexandre Dumas described the Old Bridge in the novel Ascanio.

Duke Cosimo I de Medici, who made the Old Bridge Golden.

Eleanor of Toledo, wife of Cosimo de' Medici. (Grandmother of the French Queen Marie de Medici)

In honor of the marriage 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, descended from a family of bankers, and Cosimo wanted to impress his new royal relatives.

Heir - Francesco Medici

His fiancee, Princess Joan of Austria, for whom a secret corridor was built.
Judging by the portrait, the princess was capricious.

Cosimo Medici ordered that dormer windows be made in the gallery above the bridge in order to eavesdrop on what the common people were saying about him.

The secret passage was named the Vasari Corridor in honor of the architect who embodied the idea of ​​the Medici.

Street art on the theme of the Middle Ages

Now located in the Vasari Corridor 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 Mannelli family was the only one who resisted the passage of the Corridor through their property, as happened for other buildings. The Mannelli insisted that the Corridor be built around the tower.

Legend has it that the Mannelli family paid a tax to the Medici for several years for their intervention in the project.

"At noon, cats look under the benches to see if they're black.
shadows. On the Old Bridge - now it's been fixed -
where he busts against the background of the blue hills of Cellini,
briskly trade in all kinds of branzuletka;
waves sort out the branch, murmuring behind the branch.
And the golden strands leaning for a rare
a thing of beauty, rummaging between boxes
under the unsatisfied glances of young merchants,
seem to be the trace of an angel in the realm 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. Who is familiar with the work of A. Dumas, for sure, read the novel "Ascanio" about the adventures of this talented person.

Monument to the jeweler Benvenuto Cellini on the Old Bridge. Near the building on the roof of which (top right) you can see medieval sundial established in the 14th century.

View from the Old Bridge to the Arno River.

The Ponte Vecchio bridge is one of the oldest bridges, which is known far beyond the borders of Italy. Its name is translated from Italian as "old bridge". On a par with Cathedral and the Uffizi Gallery, it is the hallmark of Florence. On numerous postcards and souvenirs, it is easy to recognize the unusual appearance of the bridge in the rays of the bright sun or night illumination. It spread across the Arno River and connects two parts of the busy city at its narrowest point. Thousands of tourists go to the bridge every day to capture it in a photo and feel the spirit of antiquity.

Ponte Vecchio in history

The Ponte Vecchio bridge acquired its present appearance in 1345. He supervised the construction of such a reliable and beautiful bridge architect Neri Fiorovanti. Prior to this, the structure was destroyed several times and restored again.

The first crossing was built during the time of the Roman Empire, when veterans of a large army settled in the city. The bridge was supported on wooden piles, but they were not strong enough to withstand a powerful current. The collapse occurred in 1117. Instead of a wooden one, they quickly built a stone bridge. He served for several centuries, but by 1333 the city was overtaken severe flood. The bridge fortifications were weakened, and most of sections collapsed. Only a few central bars remain.

After the final reconstruction, the Ponte Vecchio acquired an elegant shape with arched vaults. This helped to give the structure maximum stability. The entire length of the bridge is divided into three arches. The length of the central one is 30 m, and the side ones reach only 27 m.

A century after its construction, in the 15th century, the first trading shops appeared on the bridge. Meat sellers settled here, who were expelled from the streets of Florence. Due to the unpleasant smell, many townspeople were unhappy with the proximity to the butchers. There were more sellers than expected. All of them did not fit on the bridge, so extensions of several floors or houses hanging over the water began to appear.

By the beginning of the XVII century. butchers were supplanted by jewelry dealers. Since then, the second name has been attached to the bridge - the Golden Bridge. In the same period, a spacious terrace was equipped in the central part, so that those who wish could admire the views of the river and the surrounding area.

The bridge has always been a place of lively trade and crowds, which was not always convenient. For example, the Duke of Florence could not travel freely from his residence in the Pitti Palace to the place of reception of subjects in the Palazzo Vecchio. To solve this problem, the architect Giorgio Vasari was commissioned to construct a corridor-shaped road above all the extensions of the bridge. The total length of the corridor was over a kilometer. It was a covered corridor with small dormer windows to control the situation outside.

recent history

A year before the outbreak of World War II, a tour of the Ponte Vecchio was given to Adolf Hitler himself. Numerous arches, shops and a picturesque panorama made an indelible impression on him. When the German offensive against Italy began, all bridges except Ponte Vecchio were destroyed. There is an opinion that it was Hitler who ordered the preservation of the design that had previously conquered him.

Although the crossing served much longer than all its predecessors, a severe flood in 1966 caused great damage to it. Because of big rainfall The water level in the river rose to the very base of the bridge. Waves shattered glass and destroyed the interior of the shops. Most of the trading places were completely destroyed, but the functional parts of the structure remained unscathed.

architectural features

The western edge of the bridge is adorned with a bust of Benvenuto Cellini (a famous jeweler), which appeared here at the very beginning of the 20th century. Later, a forged fence appeared around, on which lovers often cling decorative locks. Even in European countries this tradition is quite young, but very popular. In just a few months, locks of various shapes and sizes appear in unimaginable numbers. The city authorities are regularly engaged in their removal. To reduce the number of precedents, a fine was introduced. For each lock you will have to pay 50 euros.

Today, just like several centuries ago, Ponte Vecchio houses the most expensive jewelry stores, which please with a very large assortment. Many tourists visit shops to admire unusual products, but only a few decide to buy jewelry at inflated prices.

Alas, travelers will not be able to visit the Vasari corridor. Its doors are closed to visitors. They say that it contains many self-portraits of a certain R. Zanieri.

At night, bright illumination turns on on the bridge, so tourists should take a walk around the neighborhood in the evening or at night.

How to get there

Florence - Big City, in which several railway stations. This allows you to make a convenient route from any corner of the planet. Immediate international airports located in Milan and Rome. Also coming here tourist buses from neighboring cities. At railway stations and tourist centers you can buy a map of the city to quickly navigate and find all the sights of interest.

What is famous vecchio bridge in Florence: a bit of history and modernity. How the Ponte Vecchio managed to survive the devastating floods and why it resembles from afar. Where is the old bridge of Florence located, 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. Not a single tourist avoids it. During its existence, it was rebuilt several times due to constant floods. Its name is translated from Italian Ponte Vecchio means "Old Bridge". Today, guests of the city can see it in its original appearance, since almost nothing has changed here for 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 - at least gastronomic tour, at least an exit route, at least medieval Florence.

From the history of the Vecchio bridge

The decision to build the Ponte Vecchio bridge at this point on the Arno River was not accidental. Once in its place there was a bridge with wooden superstructures from the time of the ancient Roman era. However, as a result of the flood, it was destroyed, and then rebuilt again from 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 of its restoration was entrusted to Neri di Fioravanti. It was possible to complete the construction 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, butcher shops from all over Florence were moved here. Their number turned out to be much larger than expected, then it was decided to make several additional outbuildings.

Over time, the straight line of buildings that ran along both sides of the bridge has changed a lot due to various transformations. In 1556, on the orders of Duke Cosimo I de Medici, the so-called Vasari Corridor passing over the Ponte Vecchio itself. This corridor was named after the architect who worked on its creation. On it, the Duke could easily move from the Vecchio Palace to the residence on the other side of the Arno - the Pitti Palace.

Despite the fact that the bridge was rebuilt several times, it failed to withstand another flood in 1966. Disaster hit the city, causing damage to many buildings. Of course, everything has been restored and restored for decades, but the city authorities had to bear enormous expenses.

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 named Raffaello Romanelli, who was born in Florence. Among the residents of the city and tourists, the tradition of hanging so-called “locks of love” on the fences around the statue is popular.

* This "cute" habit is followed by unrestrained lovers all over the world - in particular, forged lattices suffer from it, the fences of the lovers' bridge recently collapsed, and locals often oppose 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 Ponte Vecchio itself, there are also shops, shops and workshops. You can mainly buy gold items, jewelry and themed souvenirs from Florence (postcards, magnets, ceramic plates, key rings, guides).

Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to get into that part of Kodidore 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 destruction, is still not adapted to the tourist load. Perhaps the authorities will take care of this problem and solve the problem with access, because the multi-story superstructure above the Ponte Vecchio invariably raises questions and stirs the hearts of travelers. Everyone dreams of walking the "dear Medici" from the Vecchio Palace to the Pitti!

A story about the unique Florentine bridge Ponte Vecchio. One of the few surviving fully built-up bridges. But it is unique for other reasons as well.

Ponte Vecchio is one of the main business cards wonderful Florence. It is located at the narrowest point of the Arno River and connects two parts of the legendary Italian city. This bridge is notable for several reasons.

The oldest bridge in Florence

It was built by the architect Neri di Fioravanti in 1345 and to this day the bridge has hardly changed its appearance. Even during the Second World War, he survived, although all the other bridges were blown up. True, the reasons are different. Someone believes that thanks to the Resistance, and someone believes that undermine cultural heritage Adolf Hitler himself banned it by personal decree. By the way, one of the few bridge upgrades is connected with the German dictator. Even before the World War, Mussolini, especially for the arrival of the guest of honor, made observation deck with large rectangular windows on the inside of the Vasari Corridor. It was decided to leave these windows, and they have survived to this day.

Author of the photo: Carlo Broggi. The picture was taken before 1925

Last of the Mohicans

The Ponte Vecchio gives us an idea of ​​what city crossings looked like in the late Middle Ages. The fact is that there was not so much free space in the city, and in the megacities of that time, bridges were often built up with houses or trading shops. For example, it was completely built up. It contained more than a hundred different kinds of buildings. By the way, if you read the novel "Perfumer" or, then it was on the bridge Changer that Baldini's shop collapsed into the Seine along with its owner. But at some point, the main bridges in Europe were cleared of buildings, but the Ponte Vecchio survived and continues to amaze the guests of Florence for hundreds of years.

Inside the bridge is the secret corridor of Vasari

Numerous tourists walking along the bridge are not always aware that another path lies directly above their heads to the other side of the river. This is about secret corridor. It was designed by the architect Vasari, after whom the secret passage got its name. Construction began in 1565 on the initiative of Duke Cosimo I, who belonged to the legendary Medici dynasty. The main task of the move is to connect the two banks of the river so that the duke can move unnoticed from the Vecchio palace to the Pitti residence. Why not just walk across the bridge, you think? There are at least three reasons for this:

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For safety

When we talk about Florence and the Medici, we are a priori talking about the struggle for power. And this means that the life of the ruler may depend on the ability to quietly move from one building to another.

For comfort

The bridge is a busy place of trade. During the time of Cosimo, butcher shops were located there. Since the sanitary situation was of little concern to anyone, the bridge exuded the furious smells of rotten meat and waste. The presence of a separate corridor somewhat facilitated the situation. By the way, butchers were permanent residents of the bridge until the 16th century, after which they were replaced by jewelry stores and the atmosphere became easier.

For espionage

Since there were always a lot of people hanging around the butcher shops who gave free rein to the language, the Duke of Tuscany used this for banal eavesdropping. According to rumors, the most careless talkers could be imprisoned the very next day.

Birthplace of bankruptcy

The bridge has an interesting history. There is a legend that it was here that the term "bankruptcy" was born. This is due to the fact that when the merchant on the Ponte Vecchio was completely ruined, the city guards came and broke (rotto) his counter (banco). This procedure was called "bancorotto". After the person lost the counter, he could no longer engage in trade. In other words, he was declared bankrupt.

The famous French writer Maurice Druon describes the spirit of this place as follows:

Superstructures, benches, awnings, pots of flowers, clothes drying on clotheslines, medieval crowds - all this is amusing and curious. But the arches, the curves of the arches that support the Ponte Vecchio and all its trade, the rhythm of these arches that divide the yellow waters of the Arno into equal segments, is already perfection.