Ponts Couverts, Strasbourg, Medieval bridge complex in Petite France, Strasbourg, France
Ponts Couverts is a stone bridge complex crossing the Ill River with four square defensive towers forming a continuous medieval fortification in Strasbourg. The structure links different districts and serves as a key passage through the historical center.
Constructed between 1230 and 1250, the original structure featured wooden covered walkways with tiled roofs. The wooden sections were dismantled in 1784, followed by stone replacements in the 19th century.
The towers hold over 500 prisoner carvings from between 1530 and 1595, etched into the stone walls. These marks reveal how people experienced confinement and passed time during medieval incarceration.
The bridges are easily walkable and connect multiple districts throughout the city. They work best for strolling near Petite France when exploring the river and the fortification structures.
The name refers to the original wooden roofs, though these have been gone since 1784. The towers functioned not just as defense structures but also as holding cells where inmates carved their names into the walls.
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