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The medieval stone bridge of the Ponte Vecchio

The medieval stone bridge of the Ponte Vecchio

Source and license: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized

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#Architecture and design
Nicolo Ciampini Nicolo Ciampini

The current stone bridge has stood since approximately 1345, surviving as a centerpiece of Florence's historic river crossing.

The Ponte Vecchio, an old Florentine bridge, dates back to Roman times, though the first documented evidence of its existence was in 996. It was destroyed by a flood in 1117 and rebuilt in stone after the disaster. Another wooden bridge, Ponte alla Carraia, was established nearby in 1218. The name 'Ponte Vecchio' was given to the oldest Florentine bridge when the Ponte alla Carraia was built.

The Ponte Vecchio played a central role in the city road system and connected the Roman Florentia with the Via Cassia Nova commissioned by the emperor Hadrian in 123 AD. In contemporary times, the Ponte Vecchio is crossed by a considerable pedestrian flow.

While the location may have been crossed since Roman times, the current bridge has stood since approximately 1339-1345.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

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Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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