7 days in Italy-5-19 to 5/25/2022

Day 3- Florence-5/20/2022

Ponte Vecchio/Lunch

Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) was said to have existed since Roman times and is the only bridge across the Arno river in Florence until 1218. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345.

During World War II, it was the only bridge across the Arno river that the fleeing Germans did not destroy.  Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side.

 On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood the tremendous weight of water and silt when the Arno river once again burst its banks.

The bridge consists of three arches, of which the middle one is the largest at 98 ft. in length. In the center of the bridge is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini, an Italian artist who started his career as a goldsmith on Ponte Vecchio.

Panoramic view of the Bridge.

Side view of the bridge.

Arno river.

The Ponte Vecchio is known for the many shops on and around the bridge, which used to be the domain of blacksmiths, tanners and butchers. They used the Arno river in Florence as a landfill. However, Duke Fernandino made sure they left because they caused too much noise and stench. They were replaced by jewelers and goldsmiths, who could also pay a higher rent.

We are now on the bridge.

Ponte Vecchio is always full of people as it is a pedestrian only bridge.

Security is strict as can see here two police men patrolling even no car is allowed in this area. 

Today it is filled with jewelry stores.

More jewelry stores.

View of the bridge of Santa Trinita from Ponte Vecchio

We are in the middle of the bridge.

Arches in the middle of the bridge.

In the center of the bridge is a bust of Benvenuto Cellini who was a prolific multitalented goldsmith.

We are off the bridge

View of the bridge from the street.

Lunch

It is lunch time and we stumbled on this pizzeria and decided to give it a try.

They have tables indoor and outdoor.  There is also a long line which is a good sign.

Pizza oven inside the restaurant.

Clover view of the oven.

The inside of the restaurant.

Menu on the left and Hoa is staying in line to order our pizzas.

They also have a lot of tables outside and we opted to eat outdoor.

The line is getting longer by the time we got our table.

This couple next to us are American and we talked to them a bit.   They are also having a great time in Florence.

We got a Margherita (tomato, mozzarella, parmesan, basil) 6 Euros and a Napoli (Tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, cappers) -8 Euros

Hoa loves anchovies and that is what he is getting on this pizza.

The pizzas were too big so we ate only a small amount of the crust.  The pizzas were delicious.!

NEXT.... Day 3- Discovering Florence