The Paris Traveler

Le Pont Neuf

by Lynn on July 20th, 2007

I love the way the monuments in Paris have been cleaned over the years, but I also loved the way many of them looked before they were cleaned. The age, the grime and dirt associated with hundreds of years of history just gave off a certain energy of having seen and been through so much. It just doesn’t seem quite the same when we see buildings like Notre-Dame, the Conciergerie, or the Pont Neuf as bright and shiny as a brand new penny!

The Pont Neuf which means the “new bridge” in reality is the oldest bridge in Paris.  Construction began in 1578 under King Henri III and was completed under Henri IV in 1607; so the  bridge is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year! The view from the Pont des Arts is perhaps one of the most well-known images of Paris showing both sides of the Pont Neuf and the Île de la Cité. 

After thirteen years of restoration, the Pont Neuf has a new face. I’m not sure, however, if I like it as much as when it showed its age. It reminds me of the time when Christo decided to drape the bridge back in 1985; I wasn’t too pleased with the results then either! Some people loved it, but I thought it looked like a tarp covered construction site

Oh well, you can’t please everyone all of the time, but a Happy 400th Birthday to the new bridge!

Photo Credits: Flickr

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POSTED IN: History & Information, Miscellaneous, Uncategorized