Florence on the Arno River by Ponte Vecchio
In this photo, there are three different elements, the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, and the Florence Rowing Club, that have something in common: secret passages that connect them. Underneath the Uffizi, where the Rowing Club is now located, there is an extensive network of corridors and rooms that connect or used to connect to the palazzo above. The princes could reach Palazzo Pitti from the Uffizi along the elevated passageway, known as the Vasari corridor, built above the bridge. This permitted them not only to avoid being seen but also to not have to walk among the loud and bad-smelling crowds of common folk gathered at the fish market located on the bridge. Famous and highly visible places but….not easily accessible.
