Ponte Vecchio and the Arno

Ponte Vecchio gives you two different locations in one. On the bridge, you are inside a medieval street: goldsmiths' windows, the bust of Cellini at the central opening, and the arches framing the river on both sides. The central terrace, where the shops break, is the spot for portraits with the Arno behind.

Off the bridge is the shot the city is known for: stand on Ponte Santa Trinita, one bridge downstream, and Ponte Vecchio stacks its ochre-and-yellow shop backs above their own reflection. Evening is the classic — the bridge takes the low light full on and the water goes gold — but early morning gives you the same frame with mirror-calm water and empty embankments.

The bridge itself is a pedestrian thoroughfare and one of the busiest places in Florence from mid-morning; for anything posed on the bridge, be there by 8am. The river embankments below Santa Trinita offer a lower angle that hides the crowds on the bridge entirely.