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Pont de la Concorde (Paris)
Encyclopedia
The Pont de la Concorde is an arch bridge
across the River Seine in Paris
connecting the Quai des Tuileries
at the Place de la Concorde
(on the Right Bank) and the Quai d'Orsay
(on the Left Bank). It has formerly been known as the Pont Louis XVI, Pont de la Révolution, Pont de la Concorde, Pont Louis XVI again during the Bourbon Restoration
(1814), and again in 1830, Pont de la Concorde, the name it has retained to this day. It is served by the Metro
stations Assemblée nationale
and Concorde
.
was commissioned in 1787 with this new bridge. It had been planned since 1755, when construction of place Louis XV (now place de la Concorde) began, to replace the ferry that crossed the river at that point. Construction continued in the midst of the turmoil of the French Revolution
, using the dimension stone
s taken from the demolished Bastille
(taken by force on 14 July 1789) for its masonry. It was completed in 1791.
In 1810, Napoléon I
placed along the sides of the bridge the statues of eight French general
s killed in battle during the campaigns of the First French Empire
. On the Bourbon Restoration
these were replaced with twelve monumental marble statues, including four of the "grands ministres" (Suger
, Sully, Richelieu, Colbert
), four royal generals (Du Guesclin
, Bayard, Condé, Turenne) and four sailors (Duguay-Trouin
, Duquesne
, Suffren, Tourville). However, this collection of statues proved too heavy for the bridge, and Louis-Philippe I had them removed and transferred to Versailles.
Traffic across the bridge became very congested and the bridge had to be widened on both sides between 1930 and 1932, doubling the width of the original bridge. The engineers Deval
and Malet
nevertheless took care to preserve the neoclassical architecture
of the original. It was renovated one last time in 1983. Today, this bridge bears the brunt of Paris's road traffic (except for those of the Boulevard Périphérique).
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
across the River Seine in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
connecting the Quai des Tuileries
Quai des Tuileries
The Quai des Tuileries is a quay on the Right Bank of the River Seine in Paris, France, along the stretch close to where the Palais du Louvre and the Quai François Mitterrand is situated, in the 1st arrondissement....
at the Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
(on the Right Bank) and the Quai d'Orsay
Quai d'Orsay
The Quai d'Orsay is a quai in the VIIe arrondissement of Paris, part of the left bank of the Seine, and the name of the street along it. The Quai becomes the Quai Anatole France east of the Palais Bourbon, and the Quai de Branly west of the Pont de l'Alma.The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs is...
(on the Left Bank). It has formerly been known as the Pont Louis XVI, Pont de la Révolution, Pont de la Concorde, Pont Louis XVI again during the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
(1814), and again in 1830, Pont de la Concorde, the name it has retained to this day. It is served by the Metro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
stations Assemblée nationale
Assemblée Nationale (Paris Metro)
Assemblée Nationale is a station on Line 12 of the Paris Métro in the 7th arrondissement, named after the nearby French National Assembly.The station opened on 5 November 1910 as part of the original section of the Nord-Sud Company's line A between Porte de Versailles and Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. On...
and Concorde
Concorde (Paris Metro)
Concorde is a station on lines 1, 8 and 12 of the Paris Métro in the Place de la Concorde in central Paris and the 1st arrondissement.The station was opened on 13 August 1900, almost a month after trains began running on the original section of line 1 between Porte de Vincennes and Porte Maillot on...
.
History
The architect Jean-Rodolphe PerronetJean-Rodolphe Perronet
Jean-Rodolphe Perronet 27 October 1708, Suresnes – 27 February 1794, Paris) was a French architect and structural engineer, known for his many stone arch bridges. His best known work is the Pont de la Concorde .-Life and career:...
was commissioned in 1787 with this new bridge. It had been planned since 1755, when construction of place Louis XV (now place de la Concorde) began, to replace the ferry that crossed the river at that point. Construction continued in the midst of the turmoil of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, using the dimension stone
Dimension stone
Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and fabricated to specific sizes or shapes. Color, texture and pattern, and surface finish of the stone are also normal requirements...
s taken from the demolished Bastille
Bastille
The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...
(taken by force on 14 July 1789) for its masonry. It was completed in 1791.
In 1810, Napoléon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
placed along the sides of the bridge the statues of eight French general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
s killed in battle during the campaigns of the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
. On the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
these were replaced with twelve monumental marble statues, including four of the "grands ministres" (Suger
Abbot Suger
Suger was one of the last Frankish abbot-statesmen, an historian, and the influential first patron of Gothic architecture....
, Sully, Richelieu, Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Jean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
), four royal generals (Du Guesclin
Bertrand du Guesclin
Bertrand du Guesclin , known as the Eagle of Brittany or the Black Dog of Brocéliande, was a Breton knight and French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was Constable of France from 1370 to his death...
, Bayard, Condé, Turenne) and four sailors (Duguay-Trouin
René Duguay-Trouin
René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, usually called René Duguay-Trouin, was a famous French corsair of Saint-Malo. He had a brilliant privateering and naval career and eventually became "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King" , and a Commander in the Order of Saint-Louis...
, Duquesne
Abraham Duquesne
Other topics that could fall under Duquesne can be found at Marquis Duquesne Abraham Duquesne, marquis du Bouchet was a French naval officer, who also saw service as an admiral in the Royal Swedish Navy. He was born in Dieppe, a seaport, in 1610, and was a Huguenot...
, Suffren, Tourville). However, this collection of statues proved too heavy for the bridge, and Louis-Philippe I had them removed and transferred to Versailles.
Traffic across the bridge became very congested and the bridge had to be widened on both sides between 1930 and 1932, doubling the width of the original bridge. The engineers Deval
Deval
-Govind Ballal Deval:Govind Ballal Deval was an eminent Marathi playwright from Maharashtra, India.-French family Deval:Deval is the name of a French family which has produced a dynasty of French jeunes de langues, dragomans, and consuls....
and Malet
Malet
Malet is a French surname and may refer to:People* Albert Malet , French historian and author of scholarly manuals* Albert Malet , French painter of the post-Impressionist Rouen school...
nevertheless took care to preserve the neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
of the original. It was renovated one last time in 1983. Today, this bridge bears the brunt of Paris's road traffic (except for those of the Boulevard Périphérique).