It appears today much as it did when it was built long before the Renaissance began. The earliest historical record of the bridge is documented in a manuscript dated 996. But, we know that a bridge at this location was in existence when the Romans settled the area.
The Ponte Vecchio,the oldest bridge in Florence, and one of the most photographed bridges in the world. It was the only bridge to survive World War II.
You will soon learn the secret of the "Padlock"!
Originally the stores on it were for merchant butchers who would slaughter animals and throw the entrails and waste products over the side to be carried away by the Arno River. Today, the bridge boasts an array of famous jewelry shops, each looking like a jewel box.
