The Old Bridge, better known as the Ponte Vecchio, is a world renowned monument that draws thousands of people to Florence every year. In a way, the history of the Ponte Vecchio marks the progress of Italy and Florence from the Middle Ages. The first bridge over the Arno River was probably built by the Romans in stone and wood and is mentioned in a document that dates from 996. A little over one hundred years later the bridge was swept away in a flood. It was rebuilt in stone but two hundred or more years later it was destroyed by another flood, save for its two central piers. Consequently, the bridge was rebuilt again to a design by Taddeo Gaddi. The Ponte Vecchio has three segmented arches with the main arch having a span of 30 metres; the arches either side have spans of 27 metres. The bridge itself has always been a place to do business with shops and merchants buying and selling goods. It is reckoned that the word bankruptcy originated from the trade that was carried out on the bridge. If a merchant ran out of money and was seriously in debt, the table from where ...