Unfortunately all the most ancient bridges of Pisa have been destroyed.

The bridges that nowadays allow the many tourists that visit Pisa to cross the river and swarm from a lungarno to the other were built after World War II.

In the course of the centuries floods and wars (between 1944 and 1948 nearly 48% of the town was destroyed) have deprived tourists of the possibility to take souvenir photos of what once were the two main bridges of Pisa: Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Nuovo.

The former was approximately where now is Ponte di Mezzo. The Arno River swept away the bridge originally built in wood and then in stone in 1635. The bridge was rebuilt (not without difficulty), but the bombings destroyed it anew during World War II.

The latter was called Ponte Nuovo because it was the second bridge built in Pisa. It fell down in the 16th century. According to some historical documents, it connected Tramontana and Mezzogiorno near Via Santa Maria and Via Sant`Antonio, up-river from contemporary Ponte Solferino.

No wonder, then, if you see some old prints or sepia photos representing bridges that do not exist anymore hanging on the walls of a café or of one of the many vacation villas in Pisa.

We cannot finish this page of our tourist guide without mentioning Pisa drawbridge. It was situated next to the citadel and the so-called Torre Guelfa, a building open to visitors from which you can admire the churches, palaces and villas of western Pisa from above.