A sunset Arno River cruise in Florence is a 'Gem' and offers a you wonderful experience, allowing you to take in the beauty of the city from a unique perspective. The journey begins near the iconic Ponte Vecchio. As you drift along the river, you can also admire famous landmarks and the stunning Renaissance architecture lining the banks. The warm glow of the setting sun also adds a magical atmosphere.
The Ponte Vecchio (Old bridge), with its hanging houses and shops, is one of the most famous bridges in the world, and is the oldest stone bridge in Europe.
The bridge connects the north and south banks of Florence. About 16 million visitors annually and nearly all of them would walk over the Ponte Vecchio.
Up until the year 1218, it was the only bridge that allowed people to cross the Arno,. In 1345 it was rebuilt after a flood destroyed the original bridge. The result of this reconstruction is the same structure that we see and use today. It is also interesting to note that it has been occupied by more or less the very same goldsmith’s shops and their descendants for hundreds of years.
In1565, Cosimo I de’Medici decided that he wanted his own corridor that he could use when travelling between the Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti which was the property and residence of the powerful Medici family. At the time, the Ponte Vecchio mostly housed butchers’, fishmongers’, and leatherworkers’ shops, and hence was a rather busy (and messy) area of the city. Cosimo wanted to be able to quickly go from his residence to his offices (or “Uffizi”) across the river without having to mix with the chaotic crowds below.
As a result, he commissioned the renowned painter and architect Giorgio Vasari to build an elevated corridor for him. This corridor became known as the Vasari Corridor.
Later, Cosimo found that his walkway smelled very unpleasant, mostly because of the stench generated by the abattoirs and butchers’ shops, as well as the smell wafting up from the tanning vats of the leather workers below. Thus, he then ordered the occupants of the shops to move their business elsewhere, and instead chose to move in goldsmiths and jewelers. In 1593, this arrangement was made permanent when Ferdinand I issued a decree that only goldsmiths and jewelers may set up businesses at the bridge, and to this day, the bridge is still home to same shops and craftsmen.
The second story is much more recent, and takes place in 1944 during the World War. At the time, Hitler’s troops were retreating across the Arno and were destroying bridges along the way in order to slow down the advancing Allied army. According to stories that have been passed around, the Nazi officer who was in charge of the retreat felt that the Ponte Vecchio was too beautiful to simply destroy, and so going against his orders (a heavy offense during those times), he instead ordered the troops to bomb both bridgeheads and the surrounding buildings in order to create obstacles. This decision is why most of the buildings on either end of the bridge look like they’re from the 1950s.
And that is how the Ponte Vecchio also became known as the only bridge in Florence to have survived the war.
The view of the river at sunset is nothing short of spectacular.
The Ponte Vecchio still remains the main place to purchase gold and jewellry in Florence. Today, a large number of the exclusive jewelry stores here are still owned by the descendants of the original 41 artisans that were assigned there and given shops on the bridge by Cosimo himself in the 16th century.
In the middle of the bridge are two terraces, each one facing one side of the river, and on one of these terraces is a statue of the famous 16th century goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini.
Early in the morning you can have the bridge to yourself.
If you are planning to do your shopping at the Ponte Vecchio, be aware that the prices here are higher than in other parts of the city, mostly due to the fact that it is a tourist hotspot.
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Contents of this Video:
Time Codes
0:00 Introduction
0:47 Walk to Tour & Tour Information
1:52 Umbria
2:53 Ponte Vecchio History
6:08 Dragon Boat Race
6:42 Enjoy the River Cruise
8:48 Conclusion
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