Paris1972-Versailles2003

Let me tell you about a bridge seldom mention and not even in the tourist office but a wonderful spot in my eternal Paris, I have mentioned it briefly in previous posts but really deserves a post of its own, Therefore, here is my take on the Pont d’Iéna in Paris, part I !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Pont d’Iéna bridge dates from 1814. It is very famous for its remarkable position, linking the Trocadéro to the Eiffel Tower and Champ-de-Mars. A must to see and walk it all over !!! It was named after the German city of Jena (Iéna in French) where Napoléon had defeated the Prussian army in 1806. The bridge was to be called Pont du Champ de Mars initially,as compromise was to be called Pont de l’Ecole Militaire until finally came back to Pont d’Iéna.

After your walk at the foot (or top!) of the Eiffel Tower, why not take a walk on the Pont d’Iena, located a few meters from the Iron Lady of Paris? Indeed a glorious walk that all should do , me think,,,The bridge, connects the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadéro, was built at the instigation of Napoleon Bonaparte between 1808 and 1814. The Emperor, who had just won the Battle of Jena over Prussia two years previously, wished to engrave the event in the rock and in Parisian memories. The bridge was thought out as a five-arch bridge, 140 meters long and decorated with imperial eagles. But only one year after the inauguration of the Pont d’Iena, at the fall of the First Empire, Paris was invaded by Prussian troops and an old acquaintance of Napoleon Bonaparte was determined not to stop there… General Blücher, defeated in the Battle of Jena, wishes to destroy the bridge, in retaliation! It is to the energetic resistance of King Louis XVIII that we owe the preservation of this beautiful work ,and was content to rename the Pont d’Iena, Pont de l’Ecole Militaire, and remove the imperial eagles from the tympanums. Under Louis Philippe, the bridge regained its original name and under the Second Empire, it was once again adorned with imperial eagles and with four statues, still visible today: a Gallic horseman, a horseman Roman, a Greek horseman and an Arab horseman. As it is located at the geographical center of the Universal Exhibitions, the Iena Bridge was, over the years, enlarged until it reached its current width of 35 meters in 1937.

A bit on its construction and architecture I like , The Pont d’Iéna is made of stone, composed of 5 arches with an opening of 28 meters. The work lasted from 1807 to 1813. Its total length is 182 meters between abutments. Its total width is 14.4 meters, and between the parapets 15.4 meters. an imperial decree dated July 27, 1808, ordered their construction in stone. Their births are 6.13 meters above low water and their thickness at the key is 1.44 meters. They rest on four piers and two abutments. The thickness of the piers is 3 meters and that of the abutments is 15 meters. The latter are founded on piles: the one on the left bank was built in a stranded caisson on the recovered piles, and the one on the right bank on roots and a platform established 0.44 m below low water. The first left bank pier was founded on piles, wire mesh and platform, and the other three were built in a caisson grounded on piles. These piles are finished with circular front and rear beaks. The vaults are crowned on each head by a cornice high composed of a picture rail, a drip edge and modifications. The distance between the heads is 14 meters, they are crowned by two parapets 0.95 m high and 0.50 m thick leaving between them a space of 13.70 m including 8.70 m reserved for the roadway and 5 meters for sidewalks. At the ends of these parapets are four pedestals carrying equestrian statues. The work, begun in 1806, was barely finished at the fall of the empire in 1814. The four equestrian groups placed on the pedestals which complete the parapets were placed the following year. Finally, marble plaques recalling the time of construction of the bridge and the name of the sovereign under whose reign it was built were installed in 1852.

The Pont d’Iéna will be completely pedestrian and green. The entire area around the Eiffel Tower will be pedestrianized in anticipation of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Traffic will be transferred to the Pont de l’Alma, already very overloaded, the Zouave will have traffic work, indeed will be a mess if already is lol !!

The Paris tourist office  on the bridges of Paris ,but not Iéna: https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/paris-the-Seine-with-its-bridges-and-footbridges-a025

The city of Paris on its bridges but not Iéna : https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-et-ses-ponts-toute-une-histoire-7466

There you go folks, Paris whether you are just walking around or driving on them as I do both, it is sublime , see Paris above ground. Please walk it ,if still driving makes it difficult for you, then take the buses and walk walk walk Paris; as my other posts said, Paris is an open air museum !!!  Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Pont d’Iéna in Paris, part I !!! as I

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