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Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Ponte Vecchio over the Arno: three arches and a row of colourful shop-houses above the water under clear blue sky
Photo: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free, 24 hours
Hours
Open 24 hours; shops by day
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
20 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Built
1345
Shops
Jewellers and goldsmiths, by day
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Above
The Vasari Corridor — Uffizi to Palazzo Pitti
Best view
From the Ponte Santa Trinita at sunset
Time needed
15–20 minutes
Coordinates
43.76799, 11.25319YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

1345the present stone bridge was built
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
3 archesshallow spans, innovative for the time
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1593Ferdinando I replaced butchers with goldsmiths
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
1565the Vasari Corridor was built over the bridge
SourceEnglish Wikipedia
Cellinithe goldsmith-sculptor's bust has stood mid-bridge since 1900
SourceEnglish Wikipedia

A short history

A bridge crossed the Arno here in Roman times, but floods repeatedly swept wooden and stone crossings away. The present stone bridge went up in 1345, attributed to Taddeo Gaddi or Neri di Fioravanti. Its three shallow arches — lighter and stronger than tall semicircles — were an innovation, and it has stood for over six centuries.

At first butchers, tanners and fishmongers traded here, tossing waste into the river. In 1593 Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici decided the smell was unfitting beneath the corridor he used to reach his palace, and allowed only goldsmiths and jewellers — and the Ponte Vecchio has been a street of gold ever since.

The shops and the Vasari Corridor

Little shop-houses line the bridge, many jutting over the water on wooden brackets as each owner extended his workshop. At night they close behind wooden shutters like chests; inside, windows glitter with gold, silver, watches and jewellery, some workshops run by the same families for generations.

Along the top of the eastern side runs the Vasari Corridor, the covered passage Giorgio Vasari built in 1565 so the Medici could walk from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti without going outside; its small round windows are easy to spot from the quay.

What to see

  • Shop-houses over the water — with wooden shutters.
  • Jewellers' windows — gold, silver and watches.
  • Bust of Benvenuto Cellini — mid-bridge.
  • Vasari Corridor windows — above the east side.
  • The Arno view — from the central terrace.
  • Ponte Santa Trinita — the best view of the Ponte Vecchio.

Legends and locks

Legend says the word "bankrupt" was born on bridges like this: when a trader couldn't pay his debts, guards broke his counter — his banco — leaving him with a banca rotta, a broken bench. Historians doubt it, but guides love the story.

Mid-bridge stands a bust of Benvenuto Cellini, the Florentine goldsmith and sculptor of the Perseus. Lovers used to lock padlocks to the railing around it, but that's now banned and fined, as the locks damage the monument — take a photo of the river instead.

How to get there

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On foot

More tips

  1. From the Uffizi and Piazza della Signoria, 3–5 minutes on foot.
  2. From Florence Cathedral, 10 minutes along Via Por Santa Maria.
  3. On the far bank, the street to Palazzo Pitti, 5 minutes.
  4. From Santa Maria Novella station, 15 minutes on foot.

Is the Ponte Vecchio worth it?

Yes — it's one of Italy's classic postcards, and you'll cross it anyway on the way to the Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens. It's crowded by day, so come early or in the evening. Even without buying, the jewellers' windows are fun, and the view from mid-bridge over the Arno and hills is one of the city's best.

Before you go

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Views in Florence: compare and choose

Viewpoints in Florence rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.

Ponte Vecchioyou are here6020 minFree—
Florence Cathedral602 hFree11 min walk
Piazza della Signoria5340 minFree5 min walk
Palazzo Vecchio521 h 30 minCourtyard free, museum paid5 min walk
Vasari Corridor451 hPaid, timed entry5 min walk
San Miniato al Monte4345 minFree23 min walk
Piazzale Michelangelo421 hFree19 min walk
Giotto's Campanile411 hCombined cathedral pass10 min walk
Boboli Gardens361 h 45 minPaid15 min walk
Fiesole354 hTown free, ruins paid5.2 km

From the Signoria to the Pitti

Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi, the Vasari Corridor and Ponte Vecchio, then Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens.

  1. Piazza della Signoria40 min · Free
  2. 3 min walk from the previous stopUffizi Gallery3 h · Paid
  3. 3 min walk from the previous stopVasari Corridor1 h · Paid, timed entry
  4. 5 min walk from the previous stopPonte Vecchioyou are here20 min · Free
  5. 7 min walk from the previous stopPalazzo Pitti2 h · Paid

5 places · about 7 h 18 min with walks · 18 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby and on the way

Uffizi Gallery

Florence, Italy

3 h · Paid · 3 min walk

Museo Galileo

Florence, Italy

1 h 15 min · Paid · 4 min walk

Piazza della Signoria

Florence, Italy

40 min · Free · 5 min walk

Vasari Corridor

Florence, Italy

1 h · Paid, timed entry · 5 min walk

How to do it right

  • View it from the Ponte Santa Trinita.
  • Golden light at sunset.
  • No padlocks allowed.
  • The Palazzo Pitti is next.

Questions

When was the Ponte Vecchio built?

The present stone bridge in 1345.

Why are there jewellers on the Ponte Vecchio?

In 1593 Ferdinando I de' Medici replaced the butchers with goldsmiths, and the tradition stuck.

What is the corridor above the bridge?

The Vasari Corridor of 1565, linking the Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi with the Palazzo Pitti.

Where's the best view of the Ponte Vecchio?

From the Ponte Santa Trinita and the quay by the Uffizi, especially at sunset.

Is the Ponte Vecchio free?

Yes, it's free and open 24 hours.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia, Ponte Vecchio; Vasari Corridor
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 11.11.2026 ·
How we checkedHistory and description from English Wikipedia. Shop hours vary — hence the 'checking' badge.

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