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We walked along Lungarno di Grazie in the direction of the oldest bridge in Florence, the 1345 Ponte Vecchio over the river Arno. Some of the oldest workshops with rear extensions overhanging the river supported by timber brackets could be clearly seen from where we were.
The workshops of butchers, tanners and blacksmiths which were there originally are said to have been evicted by Duke Ferdinand I in 1593 because of the noise they made, having led to a more decorous series of workshops of goldsmiths, which line the bridge to this day.
The workshops of butchers, tanners and blacksmiths which were there originally are said to have been evicted by Duke Ferdinand I in 1593 because of the noise they made, having led to a more decorous series of workshops of goldsmiths, which line the bridge to this day.
A medieval Tower (partly seen underneath on the right) is said to have been built by the Mannelli family to defend the bridge. The bust of Benvenuto Cellini, the most famous of all Florentine goldsmiths, could be seen standing in the middle of the bridge (underneath on the left).
We walked up and down the bridge, despite being overcrowded, before going across to the Palazzo Vecchio.
(To be continued)
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