This website requires JavaScript.

A little history of Pont des Arts

The bridge | Anecdotrip.com / CC-BY-NC-SA
Bridge Pont des Arts

Napoleon Bonaparte decided to raise this bridge in the beginning of the 19th century: between 1802 and 1804, the engineer Dilon built it.

It had 9 iron arches and stony piers, with a wooden floor and iron balustrade. An important first! It was the first iron bridge in France! The other ones were built in England...

The name pont des Arts came from the Louvre museum, on the other side of the river: at that time, it was called Palais des Arts, "Arts Palace"!

After the inauguration, we found here flowers and orange-trees, little benches... well, such a nice walk for rich Parisians! A nice bridge, but very impractical: they even re-raised it in the Second Empire. Why?

The 9 arches and the metallic and light framework were considered as dangerous: boats hit it many times! The last accident dates back to 1979: a violent shock, and bridge collapsed! They finally closed it.

The current bridge was re-raised between 1982 and 1984. Nowadays, it has 5 arches...

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!