Wandering around Florence

We were in Florence for our daughters wedding but did manage to find a few hours to explore the city centre.

The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) is a medieval stone bridge over the Arno River in the centre of Florence. It has shops along its length which were initially butchers shops but now sell jewellery, art and souvenirs to the way too many tourists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_Vecchio)

The top line of windows across the Ponte Vecchio hide the Vasari Corridor which is an elevated enclosed passageway connecting the Palazzo Vecchio on the north side of the Arno with the Palazzo Pitti on the south. It was built in five months by order of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565. The idea of an enclosed passageway was motivated by the Grand Duke's desire to move freely between his residence and the government palace (the Florence Town Hall), when, like most monarchs of the period, he felt insecure in public. The meat market of Ponte Vecchio was moved to avoid its smell reaching into the passage, its place being taken by the goldsmith shops that now occupy the bridge. In its Uffizi section, the Vasari Corridor is used to exhibit the museum's famous collection of self-portraits (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasari_Corridor). The corridor can also be seen on the right side of the Arno after it does a right angle turn on exiting the bridge.

Benvenuto Celluni in the morning (before the tourists) on Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Santa Trinita is in the background. Celluni was a noted sculptor and goldsmith.

Before trade...the gold and jewellery shops of Ponte Vecchio

The early morning lull before the later tourist storm on Via Por Santa Maria leading from Ponte Vecchio

Our apartment view-Ponte Vecchio with the Duomo in the background

From the window- the River Arno with the city and Ponte Alle Grazie in the background

Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, commonly known as the Duoma di Firenze (Florence Cathedral)

The Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), known as the Florence Town Hall, was the venue for our daughters civil wedding ceremony the following day. The Vasari Corridor can be seen in the foreground.