Pont Marie, Stone bridge in 4th arrondissement, France
Pont Marie is a stone arch bridge in Paris spanning about 92 m with five substantial arches that carry pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The structure was designed to connect the Right Bank with Île Saint-Louis while maintaining the street network across it.
Construction began in 1614 under three engineers and opened to traffic in 1635. It was an important addition to the city's infrastructure at the time, improving connections between the island and mainland.
The bridge carries the name of one of its builders and links two distinct neighborhoods across the urban island. Today visitors can observe how the structure connects the Saint-Gervais district with the more residential Île Saint-Louis.
The bridge is open daily to pedestrians and vehicles with regular maintenance throughout the year. When crossing, visitors can look for historical water level marks that show how high the river has risen in past floods.
The bridge's support pillars contain empty stone niches that were originally carved to hold statues of saints. These unfilled spaces tell the story of architectural plans that were never completed.
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