Ponte Vecchio
Florence has many bridges across the Arno River, including the Ponte Vecchio, or the old bridge. It is an enclosed bridge built during the Middle Ages, and it is now one of the busiest tourist areas in Florence. In the late 1500s, the king declared that only goldsmiths and jewelers were allowed to have shops on the bridge, and it still has a lot of jewelry shops. Northern Italy was heavily bombed during World War 2. All of the other bridges across the Arno were destroyed by the retreating German army, but the Ponte Vecchio was not. According to some local people, the bridge was barricaded at both ends, but spared because of a direct order from Hitler.
Ponte Vecchio
Florence has many bridges across the Arno River, including the Ponte Vecchio, or the old bridge. It is an enclosed bridge built during the Middle Ages, and it is now one of the busiest tourist areas in Florence. In the late 1500s, the king declared that only goldsmiths and jewelers were allowed to have shops on the bridge, and it still has a lot of jewelry shops. Northern Italy was heavily bombed during World War 2. All of the other bridges across the Arno were destroyed by the retreating German army, but the Ponte Vecchio was not. According to some local people, the bridge was barricaded at both ends, but spared because of a direct order from Hitler.