Pont Neuf, Stone bridge in 6th arrondissement, France
Pont Neuf is a stone bridge of 238 metres crossing the Seine at the western tip of the Île de la Cité in Paris, made of two separate spans: five arches joining the Left Bank to the island and seven joining the island to the Right Bank. Its flat deck carries a projecting cornice above the round arches, with carved stone brackets and ornate dark metal lamp posts along the parapet. The pale beige-gray stonework includes a protruding rounded pier with a carved face above a layered ledge.
Construction began in 1578 under Henry III and was interrupted during the Wars of Religion until completion in 1607. This bridge was the first Parisian Seine crossing built without houses on top, marking a new urban planning decision at the time.
Despite its name, the structure is actually the oldest standing bridge in the city. Its stone masks show grimacing faces, animal heads and grotesque figures that have watched passersby for centuries.
Metro station Pont Neuf is nearby and provides direct access to the crossing. Both cars and pedestrians use the passage, with sidewalks on each side allowing a walk across the river.
The bronze equestrian statue of Henry IV on the terre-plein was commissioned from Giambologna by Marie de Médicis and inaugurated in 1614; it was melted down for cannon in 1792, and the present statue is a later replacement. Fragments of the original horse and the four corner figures of defeated nations are kept in the Louvre.
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