Seven centuries old bridge to receive two-year makeover
The City of Florence announced that it will begin complex restoration work on its iconic Ponte Vecchio bridge, which will begin this autumn and end sometime in the summer of 2026.
The funds raised for the effort – 2 million euros – will mostly come from the municipality. About half the funds required for the project are being donated by Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy’s best-known wine-making families.
“Our family history has always been inextricably linked to Florence since the 13th century,” the group’s president, Piero Antinori, told reporters. “The city has given us so much over the centuries, which is why it is a pleasure for us to be able to be part of this important project.”
“This is a historic project because Ponte Vecchio has never had a restoration intervention of this technical complexity,” Florence’s mayor Dario Nardella told reporters. “In the end we will have an even more beautiful bridge than we are used to seeing.”
In a statement the city said that although the bridge does not present any structural problems and is “firmly anchored”, it is suffering from “ailments” related to exposure to the elements and the constant flow of the river Arno down through the ages.
Widely considered one of the biggest achievements in European medieval engineering, the pedestrian bridge spans the Arno River with colorful buildings that house dozens of jewelry shops jutting out of its sides. An upper gallery connects the Uffizi Gallery with the Pitti Palace.