Stores on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and on on Via Toscanella

Generally opening hours Monday through Saturday are: WINTER AM: 08:30 - 12:30 PM: 15:30 - 19:30 SUMMER: AM: 09:00 - 13:00
PM: 16:00 - 20:00 Half day (of full day) closures are possible on Mondays and Wednesdays (but I don't remember the rules) However in historical centers and tourist resorts the opening hours are now totally liberalized, therefore many stores keep open during lunch time and even on Sundays. Grocery stores (supermarkets) are also generally open during lunch time.

Thanks so much but when is winter season? We will be 3/27-4/8

The shops are pretty much free to open for a total of up to 13 hours anytime they want between 7am and Midnight (or 7am till 1am in Summer). Also, inside the Unesco Heritage Area of Florence (i.e. the historical center) there are no rules anymore. They can open and close when they want. The times I gave you are the typical before this law and many small shops still abide by those (although there is no law requiring it). The half day closure during the week is now voluntary and so is the Sunday/Holiday closure. I wouldn't worry about the half hour difference between summer and winter (in any case it is determined by daylight savings time, which in Europe starts the last Sunday of March)

What hours do the restaurants or bars keep on or near Ponte Vecchio? Thanks, George

Thanks so much Roberto

Ponte Vecchio or anywhere else makes no difference. Schedules aren't based on street. They apply to the City of Florence totally (or in particular to the UNESCO HERITAGE AREA) . Regular sit down Restaurants: for lunch they typically open at 12 noon/12:30pm. The kitchen may close at about 2pm/2:30pm. By 3:30 most places will kick you out and they close till dinner time. Then of course there are snack bar/eateries that don't close in the afternoon. In the evening most restaurants open at about 7p/7:30pm for dinner. Typically the kitchen closes by 10pm or 10:30pm. But some may stay open later. Bars/pubs within the city of Florence can open for 18 hours (at their choice) between 5am and 3am of the next day (if indoor) or from 7am until 1:30am at night (if outdoors). It's up to the bar, but typically the most popular will stay open until 3am. In the historical center, during peak tourist season most stay open as long as they can at night, because there are millions of tourists and people walking in the street way past 1am. The City Ordnance that requires closure at 1:30am (for outdoor bars) was introduced in 2012 because if you lived in some places in the historical center you couldn't sleep. Last June the City of Florence and local merchants associations signed the "Patto Per la Notte" (Pact for the Night) whereby local merchants agreed to allow Florentines to sleep during the night. So no more loud music concerts outdoors at bars past 11pm (they can stay open until 130am outside and 3am inside, but no loud music to be heard outside after 11pm (No idea if the "pact" is working). Florence during peak season in the historical center is like Time Square in NYC. It's like a huge Spring break venue. And in winter it slows down but it never dies.