Florence - Ponte Vecchio: No One Stopped Us
The Medici banned butchers from this bridge in 1593. They left no policy on beskar. Field notes from Ponte Vecchio, where the goldsmiths kept working.
FIELD NOTES
Armor Field Note: Ponte Vecchio, Tuscany, Italy
The bridge has stood since 1345, which in Mandalorian terms means it predates most of our clan records by several generations. It crosses the Arno River at the narrowest point, flanked on both sides by jewelry shops built directly into the stone, and I will note that the structural logic of this is sound. HK7335 approved of the load distribution.
The jewelers did not approve of us. A man selling gold chains pressed himself against his display case as I passed, which I found reasonable given my pauldrons were at eye level with his inventory. A group of civilians taking photographs near the center railing scattered briefly, regrouped, and then began taking photographs of me instead. One child pointed at HK7335 and said something in Italian that I chose to interpret as respectful. A guard from a nearby shop leaned out, assessed the situation, and leaned back in. He made the correct tactical decision.
The bridge is open at all hours as public infrastructure. Foot traffic thins before 0800, and the approach from the Oltrarno side offers a cleaner sightline. Golden hour here is worth deploying patience for — the Arno reflects the amber stone and the lit shop windows simultaneously, which effectively doubles the light. Above the shops, the Vasari Corridor runs the full length of the bridge, built in 1565 so the Medici could move between palaces without contact with civilians. I understood this completely.
The Medici had the corridor built because street level had too many variables.
HK7335 purchased nothing, as droids have no use for gold. I acquired a pair of earrings in beskar tones because operational discipline does not preclude taste.
The man who sold them to me did not ask a single question about the armor, and he kept his hands visible the entire transaction.
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