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| A topographical carte-de-visite showing a view of the Ponte Vecchio, a Mediaeval bridge over the Arno in Florence. Believed to have been built first in wood by the Romans, the three-arched stone structure seen here dates from 1345. It is Europe’s oldest segmental arch bridge. The Vasari corridor above it was added for Cosimo I de Medici in 1565, to connect the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. The bridge has always hosted shops and merchants. Since the end of the sixteenth century these have primarily been gold merchants.
Unlike the other bridges in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by the Germans during their retreat in 1944, allegedly because of an express order by Hitler. It was, however, obstructed by the destruction of the buildings at both ends. Photographed by Giorgio Sommer of Naples, identified by his backplate on the reverse of the mount. A pencilled inscription verso in a period hand reads The Old Bridge / Florence. |
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condition: Some foxing in the area of the sky. price: £15 code: cdv173 |
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© Paul Frecker London 2003