The Ponte Vecchio Bridge straddles the River Arno in the heart of Florence. It was first documented in the year 996 and is believed to have been built during Roman times. Today, the bridge is still a busy hub of activity and a central part of Florentine culture. In the summer of 1944, as the Nazi’s withdraw from the city during World War Two, it was the only bridge to be spared from destruction. This was the result of a direct order from Adolf Hitler who wanted to “preserve” the beauty of Florence. The bridge was originally lined with butcher’s shops, but in 1565 with the construction of the Vasari corridor above it, the butcher’s shops were replaced by the more prestigious Jewellery stores that still remain today. At the centre of the bridge, among the crowds of shoppers, tourists and street entertainers stand a Bronze bust of a man possibly in his late fifties, with a long beard and eyes boring out across Florence, and an expression that is hard to place; somewhere between hate and love, but the line of distinction is very blurred: This is Benvenuto Cellini. Musician, writer, painter, self-confessed murderer and the greatest silvers and gold-smith the world has ever seen, Benvenunto Cellini was born in Florence in 1500 and would prove to be one of Florence’s most colourful sons. His Father was a musician and instrument builder and was keen for his son to continue in the family trade. When Benvenuto pushed his father to allow him to take up art studies, his father curtly informed that he did not want him to practice any other art except “playing and composing”. - See more at: http://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/italys-treasures-benvenuto-cellini#sthash.ChHaGrml.dpuf