#CelineThrowBackInParis

[atotaltaitaitale]

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Thursday Throw Back… Way way back - The Oldest… Bridge in Paris

The Pont Neuf which translate to "New Bridge" is ironically the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western (downstream) point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, the birthplace of Paris, then known as Lutetia and, during the medieval period, the heart of the city. The bridge is composed of two separate spans, one of five arches joining the left bank to the Île de la Cité, another of seven joining the island to the right bank.

The name Pont Neuf was given to distinguish it from older bridges that were lined on both sides with houses, and has remained after all of those were replaced. Its name notwithstanding, it has long been the oldest bridge in Paris crossing the Seine. It has been listed since 1889 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

Additional Fun facts about Pont Neuf:

If it was the first stone bridge to cross the Seine and fully connecting the two shores, it was also the first bridge without houses, and the first to bring an equestrian statue (statue of Henri IV).

But it is also on the Pont Neuf that was built the first pavement of Paris in the early 17th century. The second Parisian sidewalk, street Odeon, appear much later in 1780