March 17th, 2014

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For some people their Italy vacations would not be complete without hitting the shops, scouring the best places during their holiday to find fashions, mementos, and other treasures.

It's like that saying, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop." There is something amazing about finding exactly those things you are searching for and stumbling upon other incredible finds.

While everyone knows about Milan and Rome for fashion and many have discovered the charming wood carvings from Val Gardena in the north, visitors will find Italian cities all boast incredible shops with clothes, accessories, shoes, jewelry, objets d’art, and more.

Now, realizing that most men shop for what they need while women, as they say, go shopping to find out what they want, there is a wonderful stop on Florence tours with broad appeal for less enthusiastic browsers and serious shoppers alike.

The Ponte Vecchio is a historic bridge lined with shops that spans the narrowest point of the Arno River in Florence, Italy. Originally the shops here were highly functional, most of them butcher shops.

Today the bridge, which is a closed-spandrel segmental stone arched bridge that miraculously survived the Second World War mostly unscathed, is home to charming and intriguing shops filled with jewelry shops.

On the other side of the Arno River, called Oltrano, there are many more artisan shops filled with accessories, artwork, antiques, jewelry, Florentine mosaics, and all manner of bric-à-brac.

Exploring the Ponte Vecchio can be a wonderful shopping experience for any visitors to Italy but walking through the historic corridor as part of Avventure Bellissime’s Private Florence Original Renaissance Walking Tours will enhance your understanding of this destination as part of Italy’s rich cultural past.

A licensed, expert tour guide will escort you for three hours through the scenic streets and piazzas of Florence, sharing the entire time about the important aspects of Renaissance life in Florence that shaped the city, Italy, and the rest of the world.

Learning about this important city, the powerful Medici family, architecture, and art while you enjoy walking the cobbled streets and back alleys where once Dante and even Italy’s creative genius Michelangelo trod is unforgettable.

In addition to learning the secrets of Michelangelo’s David, Brunelleschi’s Duomo, the Gates of Paradise, and the Piazza Signoria, one of the key stops on this Florence walking tour is the beautiful Ponte Vecchio.

There has been a bridge at this point of the Arno River since Roman times, each incarnation from wood to stone having its own importance to history and role in society.

Your expert guide, who as a local knows just where to go, will take you to the most popular shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

It’s always great for visitors to have someone to consult about where to find certain items and ask for their own recommendations, like the Fratelli Piccini corner shop that has been run by the same family since the early 1900s.

Not far from the Ponte Vecchio, along the Via Por Santa Maria, there are more shops known for top quality jewelry.

Knowing where to look is, of course, what makes all the difference and a shop our guides themselves like for its selection and fair pricing is COI, tucked up on the second floor along this street but not to be missed.

Ready to shop the incomparable Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy? Visit Avventure Bellissime online now to book your next Italian vacation.

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