Pont de la Tournelle
Encyclopedia
Pont de la Tournelle is an arch bridge
spanning the river Seine
in Paris
.
The first, a wooden bridge, was built during the Middle Ages. This bridge connected the Eastern bank of the Seine (le quai Saint-Bernard) to l'île Saint-Louis
. It was subsequently washed away by a flood on 21 January 1651. A stone bridge was erected in its place in 1658. It was demolished in 1918 and replaced by the current bridge in 1928, after it suffered several natural disasters, especially the flood of 1910.
The Pont de la Tournelle was intentionally built lacking symmetry, in order to emphasize the shapeless landscape in the part of the Seine that it bestrides. Consisting of a grand central arch that links the riverbanks via two smaller arches, one on each side, it's decorated on the Eastern bank with a pylon built on the left pier
's cutwater, and a statue of St. Geneviève
, the patron saint
of Paris, atop of the pylon, designed by Polish-French monumental sculptor Paul Landowski
.
The term "Tournelle" traces its origin to a square turret
(tourelle in French
) constructed at the end of the 12th Century on the fortress of Phillipe Auguste
.
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...
spanning the river Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
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...
.
History
The location of the Pont de la Tournelle is the site of successive structures.The first, a wooden bridge, was built during the Middle Ages. This bridge connected the Eastern bank of the Seine (le quai Saint-Bernard) to l'île Saint-Louis
Île Saint-Louis
The Île Saint-Louis is one of two natural islands in the Seine river, in Paris, France . The island is named after King Louis IX of France ....
. It was subsequently washed away by a flood on 21 January 1651. A stone bridge was erected in its place in 1658. It was demolished in 1918 and replaced by the current bridge in 1928, after it suffered several natural disasters, especially the flood of 1910.
The Pont de la Tournelle was intentionally built lacking symmetry, in order to emphasize the shapeless landscape in the part of the Seine that it bestrides. Consisting of a grand central arch that links the riverbanks via two smaller arches, one on each side, it's decorated on the Eastern bank with a pylon built on the left pier
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
's cutwater, and a statue of St. Geneviève
Genevieve
St Genevieve , in Latin Sancta Genovefa, from Germanic keno and wefa , is the patron saint of Paris in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition...
, the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Paris, atop of the pylon, designed by Polish-French monumental sculptor Paul Landowski
Paul Landowski
Paul Maximilien Landowski , a French monument sculptor of Polish ancestry. He was born in Paris to Polish refugees of the January Uprising, and died in Boulogne-Billancourt....
.
The term "Tournelle" traces its origin to a square turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
(tourelle in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) constructed at the end of the 12th Century on the fortress of Phillipe Auguste
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
.
Location
Bridge location on the Seine:Downstream: Pont Saint-Louis Pont Saint-Louis The pont Saint-Louis is a bridge across the River Seine in the IVe arrondissement of Paris. It links the Île de la Cité with the Île Saint-Louis. It is served by the Cité stop of the Paris Metro- History :... Pont de l'Archevêché Pont de l'Archevêché The Pont de l'Archevêché is a bridge crossing the Seine river in Paris, France.-Location:The bridge links the 4th Arrondissement, at the Île de la Cité, to the 5th Arrondissement, between the quai de Montebello and the quai de la Tournelle.- History :The Pont de l'Archevêché is the narrowest... |  | Upstream: Pont de Sully Pont de Sully The Pont de Sully is a bridge across the River Seine in Paris, France.In reality two separate bridges meeting on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, it links the 4th and 5th arrondissements of the capital along the line of the Boulevard Henri IV, and connects to the eastern end of the... |