The Ponte Vecchio, the famous medieval bridge over the Arno River in Florence, survives because a German general, retreating from advancing Allied troops in World War II, decided not to blow it up. All the other bridges had been mined. Instead, he demolished a palazzo beside the bridge, successfully blocking the road. It’s rumoured that Hitler didn’t want it destroyed, as he’d once had a nice vacation in Florence and appreciated the historic span. This picture was taken from the height of the Piazza Michelangelo, on the same slopes where the Allies planned their liberating of Florence.