Vasari Corridor

The existence of the Vasari Corridor comes as quite a surprise to most people, when you then mention where it is, everyone wants to go! The Ponte Vecchio might be is the ultimate location for tourists in Florence, but the Vasari Corridor actually goes right over it!
The corridor was constructed very quickly under the orders of Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565, and realised by the architect, Giorgio Vasari (who already completed the Uffizi gallery). The idea behind the construction, a raised corridor running from Palazzo Vecchio over the Ponte Vecchio Bridge through to Palazzo Pitti, was to permit the Duke to move freely from his home to the Government offices without any danger from the local population.
It has been suggested that the meat markets that were on the Ponte Vecchio at the time of the corridors construction, were moved off the bridge (to avoid nasty smells coming up through the floors of the corridor), and the goldsmiths were moved on in their place (still present to this day).
As the corridor passes over the Ponte Vecchio in the middle there are a series of large windows looking towards the Santa Trinita bridge. These windows were built in 1939 under the orders of Benito Mussolini, in preparation of the visit of the then Fuhrer of Germany. When visiting, the Fuhrer was very impressed with the view and it has been suggested  that this is why the Ponte Vecchio stands to this day, while other bridges in Florence perished.