The Ponte Vecchio, meaning Old Bridge, is a medieval stone bridge over the Arno river in Florence, famous for the shops built along it. A bridge had stood on the site since Roman times, and the present structure replaced one destroyed by a flood, with the work attributed to Neri di Fioravante or Taddeo Gaddi. Originally the shops were occupied by butchers and tanners, but in the sixteenth century Grand Duke Ferdinand I replaced them with goldsmiths and jewellers, who remain there today. Above the shops runs the Vasari Corridor, a private passage that connected the Uffizi with the Pitti Palace. The bridge was the only one in Florence to escape destruction by retreating German troops in 1944.
Before and after
- 1340Construction of Château de Vincennes
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- 30 September 1342Battle of Morlaix
- 1343Birth of Geoffrey Chaucer
- 1345Construction of Ponte Vecchio
- from 1346 to 1859Principality of Moldavia
- 1346Construction of Himeji Castle
- from 1346 to 1352Black Death
- from 16 April 1346 to 1 January 1371Serbian Empire
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 622 CEConstruction of Prophet's Mosque
- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 14th century.