If you find yourself looking for a bit of a shortcut to the Latin Quarter, the historical Pont-Neuf offers a nice walking option for which to do so. The 238 meter long structure is the oldest bridge in Paris. Its name can now be seen as somewhat of a paradox as when translated, it means 'new bridge'.

The bridge spans the Seine River and joins the left and right banks and the Ile de la Cite, the largest of the two islands in the center of the city.

Before its construction, there were only four other bridges across the river, which were not in the best condition. With the passage of time, it became a priority to build a new bridge which would change the city forever as was the only bridge at the time to offer a view of the  Paris not blocked by houses, as they were not allowed to be built on site, an unusual practice for the time.

The Pont-Neuf,which is also the longest bridge in Paris, was opened in 1607 by King Henri IV though the first stone of the structure was initially laid by Henri III, almost 30 years earlier. Plans had been interrupted along the way by the “League of Troubles”. 

Besides opening the Pont-Neuf, Henri IV also bridged another rift for his people by granting religious freedom to the Protestants when he passed the Edict of Nantes. Born a Protestant himself, Henri IV had to convert to Catholicism before he could become King of France. He made sure however that religious freedom would be granted to Protestants during his reign.

The king had a bit of a reputation as a lady’s man as well, and after he divorced Queen Margot, he married Marie de Medicis, who was present when the bridge opened.

As for the bridge itself, which is 20 meters wide, it is glorious to look at with 384 intricate sculpted carved masks lining the cornices of the structure. It was designed by a team of five architects, and is divided into two sections, one with five brick semi-circular arches and the other, seven.

The two sides are connected by a divider where a statue of Henri IV mounted on horse now stands. The divider was formed by conjoining two islands, the Ile aux Juifs (Jews Island) and the Ile du Patriarche. The statue was originally built in 1614 but had to be replaced 200 years later — like most of the royal statues — after it was broken and molted down to make cannons during the French Revolution.

A few years after the statue was built, Henri IV also built a hydraulic water pump above the second arch which supplied the Louvre and surrounding neighborhoods with water. The pump was called the “Samaritan pump”, and on its surface there was a bas-relief of the meeting of Christ and the Good Samaritan at Jacob’s well. Above the pump stood a clock and bell tower. Also interesting to note is that the bridge was the first location in the city to sport sidewalks for pedestrians to use.

Besides being used as a main pedestrian route, the bridge has also seen time as a work of art as part of a project led by Bulgarian artist Christo in the mid 1980's. Christo used about 40,000 square meters of silky sandstone colored fabric to cover the entire bridge for a month, thus creating a temporary work of art named Pont Neuf Wrapped. 

Reconstruction projects have occurred over the years but overall, Pont Neuf has proved very durable, surviving every flood that has come it's way in its 400+ year history.

The bridge is located at: Quai de la Megisserie, Quai des Grands Augustins, 75006 Paris.

Read one of Zoie's features on Saint-Germain des Prés
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Zoie Clift is a talented contributor to Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.com. Should you like her to write professionally for you, please contact her at .