This famous and romantic bridge is the oldest one in the city, originally built in wood on piers of stone by the Etruscans, it crosses the Arno River at its widest point, at the place where the antique ferryboat for river crossing was found. Destroyed in 1117 by a flood the bridge was rebuilt in stone only to be devastated again in 1332 by another flood. The bridge we see today was built in 1345 by Taddeo Gaddi and Neri di Fioravanti, once again to substitute the ancient Roman bridge that had been destroyed many times by the flooding of the Arno, but this time in stone to secure its solidity.
Due to the enormous amount of pedestrian traffic that crossed over the bridge, the more enterprising decided to set up shop on the bridge itself. The first merchants consisted primarily of blacksmiths, butchers, and tanners catering mostly to travelling soldiers.
Florence grew rapidly due to this increase of trade not to mention structure and strength given to the bridge. Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge that survived the perils of WWII; the only bridge saved from bombings by the Germans, who bombed the adjacent surroundings to bar access, and the massive flood of 1966 which wiped out the shops on the bridge but whose roaring waters were not enough to crumble the strength of the bridge itself. A precious demonstration of architecture, as well as history, makes Ponte Vecchio an enchanting site for all those who visit it.