Ile de la Cité, le pont Neuf in english
THE PONT NEUF or NEW BRIDGE
The Pont Neuf construction started in 1578 under Henri IIIrd king and was achieved in 1607, under Henry IVth reign. This stone bridge is 278 meters longer, one of the longest, with 12 spans, 7 on the North side + 5 on the South side, and the deck is 28m width, it has a donkey back shape. The decoration is composed by 385 masks on both sides of the bridge. According to the legend, they are Henry IVth’s friends and ministers’ faces, (but I guess they are not, because the construction started under Henri IIIrd reign who was not his friend, only his cousin.) By the way, they are very scary. And the models are at the Cluny museum and the Carnavalet museum.
Between the first and the second arche, a water pump on piles has been built under Henri IVth to provide water to the Louvre castle and the Tuileries. The pump was called the Samaritaine. It gave its name to the huge store department just there. (In French we say Grands Magasins). It closed last year for safety reasons, it dates from the19th Century. But you ca still go up to the restaurant, and admire the splendid view on the city. The pump has been destroyed in 1813 because it was a problem for navigation on the river.
The Pont Neuf means New Bridge. It is ironically called “new bridge”, whereas it is the oldest of the city, for several reasons.
First of all, the Valois family wanted the Seine river to be a main urban axe. So, king Henry IIIrd will erect it as a continuity of the Louvre castle, to be able to enjoy the river he loved.
The bridge presents particularities : the main change is it is the first houseless bridge of Paris, the first sidewalks of the city and the first bridge crossing the river in one throw.
This last point is important. The crossing is easier for merchant, horses, coaches, etc. And, despite of the negative reactions of the people, Parisians finely like it, such as the king. It is a new way to enjoy the river. The Parisians discover the lovely view they have on the Louvre castle and on the south bank wood.
Also, the sidewalks and the half moons on the top of the piers are new equipments, used by bouquinistes. They are people who sell old books. Nowadays, you can see them along the river Seine, the green boxes are their shops, up the embankment. If you visit them, you will find also posters, postcards, etc.
The equestrian statue is Henry IVth. The original statue had been installed 4 years after his assassination, in 1614, but has been destroyed during the Revolution, such as many others. The statue you can see now is a command of king Louis XVIII in 1818 to a Bonapartist artist. Following the legend, he a statue of the emperor Napoleon 1st inside.
The street lamps dating from 1854 have been installed by Baltard. Down, you can see Dolphins and River effigies re
presenting the river.