Ponte Vecchio
Joining Florence with Oltrarno is the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge. A bridge has spanned this narrowest part of the river since Roman times; this Ponte Vecchio dates from 1345. Now limited to pedestrian use, the bridge retains the gold, silver, and jewelry shops that have operated here since 1592, when the Medici grand duke expelled the butchers and their smelly trade in order to make his daily walks in the Vasari corridor (above the shops) more pleasant. Today, it's the most exclusive shopping area in Florence. At night the closed shops look much like large wooden chests.
Address:
Florence
Italy