Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio)
Introduction
The Ponte Vecchio (pronunciation: [ˈpɔnte ˈvɛkkio]) is a medieval bridge over the Arno River in Florence (Italy). It is a symbol of the city and one of the most famous bridges in the world, one of the few inhabited bridges that remain. It crosses the Arno River at its narrowest point.
The bridge is supported by three arches; The main one has a span of 30 meters and the other two 27 meters. The height of the arches varies between 3.5 and 4.4 meters.
History
It is believed that it was a bridge initially built of wood by the Romans,[1] shortly after the founding of Florence around the year 150 BC. C.[2] That walkway was consolidated and expanded around 123, when the Emperor Hadrian promoted the construction of the Via Cassia Nuova, which crossed the city and which corresponded, it can be assumed, to the streets Bardi and San Niccolò. The first Roman bridge was destroyed in the 17th century. VI-VII, consequence of neglect and barbaric wars, in addition to probable damage related to floods.
It is difficult to know how many bridges have been destroyed and how many rebuilt by the frequent flooding of the Arno River. Giovanni Villani spoke of a bridge built under Charlemagne, and it is perhaps in the century or when the bridge was in its current position.
After being damaged in 1222 and 1322, it was destroyed by a flood in 1333.[1] It was rebuilt entirely of stone between 1335 and 1345.[3] Vasari attributes its design to the Italian architect and painter Taddeo Gaddi.[4]
It has always contained different stores and great commercial activity; According to legend, this is because the bridge had a tax exemption. Merchants were formerly authorized to display their wares on tables by the bargello (a type of communal magistrate). Following the tradition started in the Llotja del Mar in Barcelona, when a seller could not pay his debts, his selling stall was broken up by the soldiers (bankruptcy). No longer having a table, the merchant could not sell his goods.
At first, merchants lined their stalls ("botteghe") on both sides of the bridge. But in 1495, the city, which owned and leased the shops to merchants, was forced to sell the plots for economic reasons. From then on, the stores began to grow larger and the overhangs over the river multiplied, which today make up the image of the bridge.[5].
To connect the Palazzo Vecchio (seat of the government of Florence) with the Palazzo Pitti, Grand Duke Cosimo I de Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build the famous Vasarian Corridor over the bridge, which was completed in 1565.[1] This corridor circles around the Mannelli Tower, since its owners did not allow it to be altered or destroyed for the construction of the corridor.