American tourist fined for driving over pedestrian-only Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
An American tourist was fined €500 for driving on Florence’s ancient Ponte Vecchio bridge on January 26. The tourist, a 34-year-old man from California, drove a rented white Fiat Panda car over the 14th-century, pedestrian-only bridge that is currently undergoing a €2 million restoration project. The tourist told the police he drove over the bridge to find a parking spot, according to Wanted in Rome.
In late October 2022, Florence's mayor Dario Nardella announced the €2 million restoration of Ponte Vecchio. In a tweet posted to Twitter, he said “We have started planning the restoration of the arches of Ponte Vecchio, a symbol of Florence and one of the most beloved monuments in the world. It's the first time in history. An investment of 2 million with top-level experts and technicians. Let's protect our cultural heritage!”
The Ponte Vecchio bridge is notable for several reasons:
- It dates to 1345
- Ponte Vecchio means “old bridge” in English and as such, it is the oldest bridge in Florence
- It was the only bridge in Florence spared from destruction by the retreating German army during World War II
- It is the first segmental arch bridge built in the West
- It first only housed butcher shops and tanners until an ordinance in the 16th century that allowed only jewelers and art dealers because of the foul smells produced by the butchers. Today, jewelers, art dealers, and souvenir shops still line the bridge.
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura,The Christian Science Monitor and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.