THE PONTE VECCHIO: A SPAN FOR THE AGES
THE PONTE VECCHIO: A SPAN ACROSS THE AGES
Say it aloud or to yourself, "Ponte Vecchio." It almost sounds musical, as if it were meant to be sung. Ponte Vecchio! The words just roll off your tongue. Some names, words, or combinations, are like that. They play to the ear. For me, "Ponte Vecchio" is just one of those instances where the sound of the name is a nod to its mythology. In English, "the old bridge" (in translation) obviously lacks that same quality, but in Italian, its catchy cadence, sonorous ring, lyrical lift if you will-- not unlike the sounds of the reverential Katmandu, the romance of a Zanzibar or the anticipation of a Santorini-- leave me wanting more. I can almost feel its exoticism and a touch of the magical.
But "Ponte Vecchio" is much more than an appealing sound. Sounds as we know, sensed or heard, can create pictures in our minds. But in this particular case, the lure of Ponte Vecchio is not just about the fantasies conjured up in one's mind, but about a unique series of structures, steeped in history as it were, and how they ultimately came to capture the world's imagination.
Ponte Vecchio
Ponte Santa Trinita
I chose to shoot nighttime images (several from the nearby Ponte Santa Trinita) not just to capture its structural beauty but to emphasize its charm. Such images I hope will transport you to a certain time and place where the words "awe and respect" come to mind. And surprisingly, perhaps, accompanied by a visceral connection to centuries gone by. After all, how many lives can one bridge have?
Reflections under Ponte Santa Trinita looking towards Ponte Vecchio
I wonder about this. About the gestalt. About how things become more than the sum of their parts. About how a simple bridge can create such reverence and fascination. I also wonder about you, the viewer—if perhaps the images, upon viewing them, will summon you to a journey of your own. Who knows, we might even find ourselves traveling together back in time, or across time, or to someplace unanticipated.
Reflections/Ponte Santa Trinita/Ponte Vecchio
The bridge, one of the most popular in human history, has conveyed this lore since the early days of the Roman Empire when it was first built. It is a bridge with a storied past. Made of wood, the first Ponte Vecchio burned to the ground, but yet there are no written records to document such an event. On the other hand, records first appeared over a millennium ago, in the year 966 AD.
Ponte Vecchio
Later there are references to floods that destroyed the bridge in 1117 and 1333. It was an important bridge across the River Arno even back in the Middle Ages. In 1345, to withstand the currents and the elements, it was once again rebuilt, (but this time with three sturdy stone arches) by Taddeo Gaddi, a pupil of the famous painter Giotto. This is the moment when art and science came together to create a bridge-- intentionally or otherwise-- where lovers go, where imagination springs eternal, where time stops; where the sound of a name conjures up romance, resilience, and a mystique all its own. This is the version that lasted. The current one. The one we see today. The one that thus far at least, has withstood the test of time.
Ponte Santa Trinita with structures along the Arno River
Unlike ordinary bridges, the Ponte Vecchio was designed with shops and trade in mind. First with meat markets and tanners and the like where commoners could conduct their daily business. A place for commerce and commoners. But then later, with an upper corridor so the Medici family didn’t have to mingle with the public, and later yet as an upscale venue with goldsmiths and a jeweler’s row to elevate its appeal and ambience, adding to its awe and allure.
Ponte Vecchio
The bridge, unique in these many ways, has long been home to one kind of vendor or another. The elaborate doors, wood and metal carvings, and locks and hinges protect the valued goods stored inside while adding to its charm. Combined with the expensive inventory housed within, the very nuts and bolts themselves convey the talent and craftsmanship of the artisans of the day.
Ponte Vecchio
The Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence not destroyed by the retreating German army in 1944, and has become a symbol of resilience, everlasting spirit, and through the ages, particularly for the city of Florence, a well-defined piece of its cultural heritage. There are myriad pictures of the Ponte Vecchio to be sure, but the majority of them attempt to capture the physical reality of the structure. But my study if you will, shot at night, by design, for a different purpose, hopefully communicates the sentiments previously described. With its multi-colored lights and darkness as a backdrop, I tried to capture the essence of the bridge’s colorful history and storied past to the degree that an image can portray such things.
Ponte Vecchio
I tried to seize the moment, and instead of just photographing the bridge itself, my eye was after its mythology. Sentiment, in its best sense, is not easily transferable to “film” or communicated via an object through the lens. But I tried to touch its soul. Take a look. Let me know if you can hear, as you "listen" to these images, the mellifluous sound of the Ponte Vecchio as it serenades us from a thousand years ago. The sound, I believe, emanates with every glance.
Nighttime Strolling and Serenading along the Ponte Vecchio