Ponte Vecchio

A Medieval bridge over the Arno River, the Ponte Vecchio is mainly known for its shops of jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir sellers and for being Europe's oldest stone, closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge. Regardless, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge is gorgeous and has a rich history dating back to the time of the Romans, and it’s certainly one that deserves to be mentioned among the most well-known bridges in the world. It stretches across the Arno River in Florence, Italy, and is among the oldest bridges that are still standing from before the Industrial Revolution.

According to historians, the bridge was originally planned by Taddeo Gaddi, a notable architect in Italy during the medieval period. The Ponte Vecchio is thought to have been built before 1,000 A.D., and there is evidence of its mention in old documents dating back to 996 A.D., as well as others noting that it was destroyed and rebuilt after a catastrophic flood in 1117 A.D.

Today, the Ponte Vecchio is virtually unchanged from when it was rebuilt around 1345. It is composed of three segmented arches, with a 30-meter-long main arch in the center.

Location: Florence, Italy
Architect: Taddeo Gaddi