Pont Royal, Stone arch bridge between 1st and 7th arrondissements, Paris, France.
Pont Royal is a stone arch bridge spanning the Seine with five arches built from large stone blocks. It connects the Louvre area to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter and measures 110 meters long and 17 meters wide.
King Louis XIV ordered the construction of this bridge between 1685 and 1689 to replace an earlier wooden structure that needed frequent repairs. The new stone structure was intended to provide a lasting crossing over the Seine.
The bridge owes its name to the Tuileries Palace, the royal and imperial residence demolished in 1883, which it faced on the right bank. Its stone arches appear in paintings by Hubert Robert and other artists depicting the Seine. The name Rue du Bac recalls the ferry that crossed here from 1550 until the first bridge was built.
The bridge is open to pedestrians and vehicles, providing a straightforward connection between two major Paris districts. Traffic can be heavy near the Louvre Museum area, but crossing is always possible and takes just a few minutes.
A hydrographic scale on the last pier at each bank records the level of Paris's greatest Seine floods. It was installed after the one on the Pont de la Tournelle, and the marks let passers-by compare historic high waters with the river beside them.
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