Fiume Arno from the Ponte San Niccolò in Florence - Piscina "G. RASPINI" - RARI NANTES FLORENTIA

Crossing over the Ponte San Niccolò over the Fiume Arno (Arno River) in Florence (Firenze) at sunset.

That evening had my first proper view of the landmark towers and domes of the historic centre of Florence (which we would see properly on a guided walking tour the following day).

After crossing the bridge we would walk down to the next bridge along the Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci towards the Ponte Giovanni da Verrazzano.

Ponte San Niccolo

The bridge of San Niccolò is the bridge over the Arno furthest from the center of Florence , the third highest upstream of the Municipality of Florence, after those from Verrazzano and Varlungo.

It was built between 1836 and 1837 near the homonymous fishing farm San Niccolò that supplied water to the mills located within the walls.

Originally it was a suspension bridge, held up by metal ropes stretched between the bank and the bank of the Arno. The original name was Ponte San Ferdinando in honor of Grand Duke Ferdinando III of Tuscany . The construction work was entrusted to a French company of the brothers Marc and Jules Séguin, famous engineers skilled in the design of metal bridges, who had also been in charge of the construction of the San Leopoldo bridge , now called Ponte alla Vittoria. A few years later it was overwhelmed by the 1844 flood, it was rebuilt in 1853 and still modified in 1890, always maintaining a metal structure, for this reason it was popularly called the Iron Bridge.

It changed its name after the end of the Grand Duchy and was named after San Niccolò in honor of the adjacent district on the southern bank of the Arno.

Like all other Florentine bridges except Ponte Vecchio , it was mined and destroyed by the retreating Germans in 1944 and rebuilt in the following years with the current reinforced concrete structure, with a single arch (unlike all previous structures that they had been developed with three arches, with the exception of the first which was suspended).

Piscina "G. RASPINI" - RARI NANTES FLORENTIA

Sede della Rari Nantes Florentia

The headquarters of Rari Nantes Florentia is located in Florence , on Lungarno Ferrucci 24. The building is located on the left bank of the Arno , in the urban stretch between the bridges of Verrazzano and San Niccolò in the Gavinana district.

Built in the 20s of the twentieth century, in an area then marginal, or at least sheltered, the building is now well integrated into the environmental system of this part of the river that over the years has seen, in the immediate vicinity, other equipment sporting and recreational character.

With the arrangement of the surrounding area including the construction of the swimming pool , which took place in the '60s, and with the addition of the small building containing the bar and the offices, the Rari Nantes headquarters has gradually developed into a sports complex which harmonizes well within the context in which it is inserted.

The first headquarters of the Rari Nantes dates back to 1904 - the year the company was founded - and consists of a modest wooden structure built on the design of Guido Baroni , surveyor of the Civil Engineers and treasurer of the newborn company. After various inspections, the choice of the area fell on the left bank of the Arno, in the stretch between the San Niccolò barrier and the Bisarno plain, where the river offers deeper and quieter waters, suitable for teaching swimming and preparation of tenders.

But already after the First World War, with the intensification of competitive activity and the increase in the number of members, the structure proved insufficient and the old chalet now inadequate to the needs of the times.

The need to create a more suitable and comfortable environment for the sporting activity was realized with the construction, again on the design of the same Guido Baroni , of a new masonry building to replace the previous one. The work, which began in the spring of 1920 , was completed in about five years.

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Taken in: Italia / Toscana / Firenze / Gavinana (show map)

Taken on: June 25, 2018

Tags:

Florence

Firenze

Italia

Tuscany

Toscana

birthplace of the Renaissance

the Athens of the Middle Ages

Ponte San Niccolò

Ponte S. Niccolò

Arno

Arno River

Fiume Arno

bridge of San Niccolò

Ponte San Ferdinando

Grand Duke Ferdinando III of Tuscany

Marc and Jules Séguin

sunset

Lungarno del Tempio

Lungarno Francesco Ferrucci

Piscina G. RASPINI - RARI NANTES FLORENTIA

swimming pool

Sede della Rari Nantes Florentia

Headquarters of the Rari Nantes Florentia

Ponte A San Niccolò « less

Sets appears in: • River Arno, Florence • Florence

Groups appears in: • Rivers • Rivers and Streams more » • architecture in Italy « less

Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ72, f/5.5, 1/40 sec, 35.8mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Panasonic DMC-FZ72
Aperture:	f/5.5
Exposure Time:	0.025 sec (1/40)
Focal Length:	35.8mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	High gain up
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Ver.1.0
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