Ponte Vecchio Back
Built in ancient times by the Etruscans, the bridge has weathered many storms - and storming by invading legions. Because of its location over the narrowest part of the Arno River, the bridge has been rebuilt and restored many times throughout its long history. And it has changed with the times.
During the Middle Ages, Florence was hit hard by the Plague. Half of Florence was wiped out the by the Black Death, and the remaining populace became suspicious of their old ways of living. It was also around this time that the powerful Medici family moved into Florence. They brought with them vast wealth and an appreciation for the finer things in life. Seeing those older merchants using the Arno River as their own personal sewer system didn’t exactly fit in with their ideas for the beautification of Florence. Soon the blacksmiths, butchers, and tanners were replaced with goldsmiths and artists, and the number of shops increased tremendously. Between 1565 and 1800, an upper level was added, as was a back row of shops. All this increased trade not only helped Florence grow, but the new shops also gave the bridge structure and strength. The Ponte Vecchio is the only of Florence’s bridges to have survived WWII, and in 1966, when a massive flood wiped out the shops on the bridge, the bridge itself was strong enough to withstand the roaring waters. The Ponte Vecchio embodies the progress of humanity because it has come from carrying soldiers to battle, to open commerce, to a vast gathering place for peoples from all walks of life.
Pitti Palace
Situated in the first great square in the area that the Florentines call “Diladdarno” - beyond the Arno - Palazzo Pitti dominates uncontested by a small hill at the feet of Boboli
The Medici’s Chapels
The Medici Chapels were built as a personal sepulchre of the Medici family right in the basilica of San Lorenzo, the one considered by the Medici as their private church and located in front of the residential palace in via Larga (presently via Cavour).
The Uffizi Palace
The Uffizi Palace is one of the most loved monuments of Florence. An architectural work of great importance, that shelters masterpieces of inestimable value.
Santa Maria Novella
Piazza Santa Maria Novella, with its original five-sided shape, is one of the largest squares in the old city centre of Florence:
Florence Dome (Santa Maria del Fiore)
The Cathedral or Duomo of Florence as we see it today is the end result of years of work that covered over six centuries of history. Its basic architectural project was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio at the end of the 13th century;
Piazza della Signoria
Piazza della Signoria has been the political heart of the city from the Middle Ages to the present day. It is a singular urbanistic creation that began taking shape from 1268 onwards, when the Guelph party gained control of the city again and decided to raze the houses of their Ghibelline rivals to the ground.
Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio, found in Piazza della Signoria in the historical center of Florence, which once had the exclusive role of political representative of the city, began to lose importance beginning with the new construction of the Uffizi Palace in 1565.
