This site is a work in progress of my adventures in Italy taken in the Fall of 2012 while traveling with my son Blaine and his family. We spent 16 nights in Italy, ten of these nights in Rome and vicinity. Will take me some time in getting the site just the way I want it along with lots of photos..........Jack
The above image is one of my favorites taken on this trip. This is the Ponte Vecchio. This bridge is a symbol of Florence (Firenze) it dates from 1345. Goldsmiths' booths flank the central carriage way and extend over the sides of the bridge. The word Ponte Vecchio in English is Old Bridge.
Toward the end of WWII, the retreating German Army destroyed all the bridges in Florence crossing the Arno River but spared the Ponte Vecchio upon orders from Adolph Hitler. The large passage way built in 1565 on the top of the bridge is called the Vasari Corridor which connected the Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) with the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) on the other side of the river to allow the ruling family safe passage unseen by the commoners. I took the image out of a window while touring the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world's leading museums.
Toward the end of WWII, the retreating German Army destroyed all the bridges in Florence crossing the Arno River but spared the Ponte Vecchio upon orders from Adolph Hitler. The large passage way built in 1565 on the top of the bridge is called the Vasari Corridor which connected the Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) with the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) on the other side of the river to allow the ruling family safe passage unseen by the commoners. I took the image out of a window while touring the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world's leading museums.
Click on an image in any photo gallery on this site to launch a slide show.
