L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 2023 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano I t's a beautiful sight. As iconic as the sky- line view etched with F l o r e n c e ' s f a m o u s D u o m o o r p e r h a p s Michelangelo's marble mas- terpiece "The David", the majestic Ponte Vecchio has s p a n n e d F l o r e n c e ' s A r n o River for almost 700 years. The reflection of her 3 shal- low arches supporting an array of shops glistens over the waters creating the guar- antee of a spectacular scene and a memorable photo. Like the lure of a siren's song, a pause to admire quickly rolls over to reverie. Based on the a v e r a g e t h i r t e e n m i l l i o n t o u r i s t s w h o p a y h o m a g e each year, it's an easy state to achieve. The name "old bridge" is a good place to begin a peel- back of Ponte Vecchio's sto- ried history. Located at the narrowest point of the Arno, documents suggest that a bridge occupied this position as far back as the 10th centu- ry BC, most likely built by the Etruscans. Roman ingenuity was responsible for a sturdy wood and mason bridge at the site dating to around 125 BC. As the Arno is prone to do, a massive flood in 1117 wiped out this structure; yet another deluge took out its replacement in 1333. Loftier goals were needed; a plan was hatched to rebuild, but bigger, better, stronger. The year 1345 brought the completion of the new Ponte Vecchio as we know it, at least for the most part, today. It's still a mystery as to who to duly credit for this glorious landmark. In those days, it wasn't so much the mind and talent behind a creation, but who paid for it; thus, names responsible for many accom- plishments were lost to time. Accepted though unproven, h i s t o r y n o d s t o T a d d e o Gaddi, a student of Giotto's, a s t h e b u i l d e r / d e s i g n e r . H o w e v e r , h i s l a u r e l s a r e slowly eroding in favor of other theories. Many scholars believe Dominican friar Fra G i o v a n n i d a C a m p i , designer of the Ponte alla Carrarira (1334), is due credit as the architectural genius behind the bridge. It's a p l a u s i b l e t h e o r y . Florence's Dominicans of Santa Maria Novella were the master builders of the day, and if we examine the proportions of the bridge, probability increases even more. Harmony was crucial in the Middle Ages, a spiritu- al necessity. The bridge's h o r i z o n t a l p r o p o r t i o n s equate to 1:2:4 correspond- ing to the (highly bewilder- ing) Platonic number theory. The lateral proportions of 1:2 c r e a t e a m u s i c a l o c t a v e known as a sacred concord within (also quite enigmatic) Pythagorean Mysticism. Sim- ple translation: this type of thinking and design would align exactly with Dominican p h i l o s o p h y . T h e y m a y ' v e b e e n o n t o s o m e t h i n g : a group of Florentines strug- gling to save precious art during the catastrophic flood of 1964 reported that as the w a t e r s r a g e d u n d e r a n d around the bridge, the resul- tant shaking and trembling created a harmonious cho- rus, a hum that was indeed music. And the bridge sur- vived. Originally built as a defen- sive structure, the primary design included four towers a n d a s e r i e s o f b u i l d i n g s opening only to the interior roadway that crossed the bridge. She was a domineer- ing presence…and came with a m o n u m e n t a l p r i c e t a g . Sticker shock ensued; the governing powers needed a way to refill the coffers. Why not rent out space to shop- keepers? For 77 years the old bridge hosted a lively and varied marketplace. T h e b a l a n c e s h i f t e d b y 1 4 2 2 , h o w e v e r , w h e n t h e Guild of Butchers monopo- lized the shops: only meat producers, tanners, and fish- m o n g e r s w e r e a l l o w e d a s t e n a n t s . I t w a s a p e r f e c t setup, the river below made an easy-access dump for car- casses and waste…with a lot of resultant stench. Quasi- governmental control kept cleanliness at tolerable levels, yet by 1495 things changed o n c e a g a i n . O v e r w r o u g h t with debt, a quick sale of all rights was made to the Guild. Fiscal stress eased, but any control of shop conditions and sanitation were lost. The r e s u l t : a l i t e r a l s t i n k i n g mess. Fast forward to the dawn o f t h e R e n a i s s a n c e . T h e beautiful but quite odorous bridge dominates central Florence. This was the era of the Medici, the powerful ruling family of Florence and great patrons of the arts. Influential families were also assassin magnets. Cosimo I de Medici decreed a secre- tive corridor be built from his home, Palazzo Vecchio, to his "office" – what is now the Uffizi Gallery. Con- ceived and quickly construct- ed by Giorgio Vasari, the hidden walkway, known as t h e V a s a r i C o r r i d o r , s t r e t c h e d a t o p b u i l d i n g s keeping the elite literally above it all. Somehow Cosi- mo overlooked the putrid o d o r w h e n c r o s s i n g t h e bridge: however, his succes- sor Ferdinando declared "B asta così!" (Enough of this!) and the shops were purged of meat sellers and tanners. Gold merchants became the only sanctioned business to o c c u p y t h e s h o p s . H o w delightful that to this day, gold shops – all 48 of them – still sell their precious wares on the Ponte Vecchio! Years flowed as quickly as the Arno's waters under the bridge. Floods, war, times of p r o s p e r i t y , a n d t i m e s o f despair played out before her. Not only a merchant's stage, the Ponte Vecchio was also believed to be the scene of a young lover's murder, an act said to be responsible for the longstanding violent fam- i l y f e u d b e t w e e n t h e Guelphs and Ghibellines. Young Buondelmonte de' Buondelmonti refused to marry the woman chosen for him as political reparation, but instead rebelliously wed his true love, a Guelph. His act considered dishonorable, the arranged bride's family m a d e q u i c k d i s p a t c h o f Buondelmonti on the pave- ment of Ponte Vecchio. It must be noted that the year was 1216 meaning the act occurred on the "old" Ponte Vecchio, but a tragic love story doesn't fade quickly. From her 1345 construc- tion to 1944, the old bridge of Florence, along with others dating to the Middle Ages, survived countless natural disasters and battles. World War II, however, brought new players and new means of destruction to Florence. Tragically, every bridge but one, Ponte Vecchio, were destroyed by retreating Ger- man troops. Some believe Hitler ordered her spared due to his admiration from an earlier visit. Others say, and most Florentines believe, that German consul Ger- hard Wolf is to be credited with saving the bridge. A recently discovered letter adds to the choice of theo- ries, proposing that a coura- geous shopkeeper somehow disabled the mines intended to destroy the bridge. Whoever gets credit, we can celebrate that the old bridge lives on. One of the few surviving urban medieval bridges, she still shines as "the bridge of gold," a stately and beautiful reminder of Florence's rich and colorful past PAULA REYNOLDS A view of the colorful Ponte Vecchio, in Florence (Photo: CandyflossFilm/Dreamstime) The captivating tale of Florence's "Old Bridge" - the Ponte Vecchio ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

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