The Pont d’Arcole of Paris !!

Posted in Europe, France, Paris

Ok so here I am inspire again on writing about the different spots around my eternal Paris. The whole world comes to Paris , yes it is nice, I just wish they see my belle France. As said, Hemingway wrote the Movable Feast printed posthume, if he had traveled more he would have written a second volume, France is a movable feast!  Having said that, let me tell you about some of the bridges of Paris, sublime, beautiful, architecturally stunning and full of wonderful history. And why not start with the Pont d’Arcole of Paris !! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Pont d’Arcole: The first permanent bridge connecting the City Hall of Paris (Hôtel de Ville) and the Île de la Cité was built in 1828. This small pedestrian bridge with a central pillar was replaced by a wider and stronger bridge in 1854. The for its time advanced bridge with no central pillar still stands today. The bridge connects today the Quai de Grèves, the Quai de l’Hotel de Ville and the Place de l’Hotel de Ville on the right bank to the Quai de la Corse and the Quai aux Fleurs on the Île de la Cité.  The pont d’Arcole is located in the 4éme arrondissement of Paris.   The Pont d’Arcole is the first Parisian iron bridge; 20 meters wide and comprising a metal structure in the form of a single arch with a span of 80 meters located between two cut stone abutments, it was built in 1856 and took less than three months to complete. The Arcole bridge was innovative at the time: it was the first unsupported bridge over the Seine made entirely of iron, rather than cast iron.

Paris

The Pont d’Arcole crosses the great arm of the Seine, at the Ile de la Cité. This site is served by the Hôtel de Ville metro station lines 1 and 11. It links the City/Town Hall on the right bank to the Hôtel-Dieu on the Ile de la Cité. The Pont d’Arcole is the first iron bridge in Paris; 20 meters wide and comprising a metal structure in the form of a single arch with a range of 80 meters located between two abutments in cut stone, it was completed in 1856. Its construction lasted less than three months. The name comes from the battle of the Pont d’Arcole won by Napoleon Bonaparte over the Austrians in 1796.

Paris

It was only in 1827 that a royal ordinance authorized the construction of the Pont d’Arcole bridge between the Place de l’Hotel de Ville and the Île de la Cité. Built in 1828, a footbridge was opened to traffic on December 21 of that same year. This suspension bridge is made up of two spans of around 40 meters. It is only 3.50 meters wide between the railings and is reserved for pedestrians. The footbridge was first called “Pont de la Grève” during its first two years. It then takes its current name.

In 1854, it was replaced by a metal structure, more solid and allowing the passage of vehicles. The Pont d’Arcole is therefore innovative: it is the first bridge without support on the Seine entirely made of iron and no longer of cast iron. However, on February 16, 1888 the bridge suddenly collapsed by 20 cm, and must then be consolidated.

It was by the Pont d’Arcole that the first tanks of the 2nd Armored Division of General Leclerc arrived during the liberation of Paris in August 1944, on the place de l’Hôtel de Ville. It was only between 1994 and 1995 that the City of Paris had the deck repaired completely, reviewing the waterproofing and painting of the bridge at the same time. In 2012, the City of Paris renovated the illuminations on the Pont d’Arcole to reduce the energy consumption of the structure by 90%!

The City of Paris on the Pont d’Arcole : https://www.paris.fr/pages/le-pont-d-arcole-un-pont-qui-porte-le-poids-de-l-histoire-25107

There you go folks, another dandy in my beautiful Paris, once bitten, the virus of love stays with you. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Pont d’Arcole of Paris as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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