Pont Saint-Martin, Medieval bridge in Vienne, France

Pont Saint-Martin is a stone bridge over the Gère with a single arch of light tan rectangular stones, rough grey and brown masonry above, and a low, uneven parapet. It links rue Joseph Martin to the Saint-Martin church and square in the Vallée de Gère.

The bridge was built in 1399 to replace earlier wooden structures destroyed by devastating floods in 1375. This reconstruction under Jacques de Montmaur's governance made it an essential link for the region.

The name Saint-Martin comes from the nearby church, not from a dedication of the bridge itself; the medieval name was attached because of the church close by. The bridge links rue Joseph Martin to the church and Place Saint-Martin in the Vallée de Gère quarter. A stone cross seen by Chorier was erected on the bridge two years after its completion, and its socket, a rectangular hole in a choin stone block on the upstream parapet, can still be seen.

The bridge functions as a pedestrian crossing between Joseph Martin Street and the Saint Martin district, providing convenient access to the old town. The structure is stable and easy to walk across, making it a practical route through Vienne.

A stone cross once stood on the bridge's parapet, and its former location is still visible through a rectangular hole in the stonework. This detail reveals the religious practices that were maintained at this crossing for generations.