Pont de Tounis, 16th century brick bridge in Toulouse, France

Pont de Tounis is a brick bridge with three rounded arches on two piers fitted with cutwaters. Only two arches remain partly visible, the third being enclosed by buildings at 8 rue du Pont-de-Tounis. The bridge slopes to overcome a height difference of over 5 metres between the city terrace and the former Tounis island.

A wooden bridge already linked the Dalbade district to the island of Tounis in the 12th century, but it was repeatedly swept away by floods. In 1515 the capitouls commissioned a brick masonry replacement from master masons Jean Jordain and Antoine Peyrin; a pier was lost to the current in 1518, and work finished only in 1528. This makes it Toulouse's oldest bridge, a century older than the Pont-Neuf completed in 1632.

The bridge displays traditional Toulouse building methods with its characteristic pink brick, later covered with light coating to mimic stone. This construction technique was typical for the region and influenced the appearance of many other buildings throughout the city.

The bridge is easily reached via Rue Valade and Rue Tounis near Rue de Metz in central Toulouse. Visitors should note the location where one arch is completely hidden between modern buildings, which makes the structure harder to fully appreciate.

After the Garonnette River was converted into an avenue in 1954, the channel was filled and the arches lost one-third of their original height. Today the bridge appears from above like an ordinary pavement roof, while its true scale is only visible from certain angles beneath street level.