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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The bridge over the Gaduet is a medieval building located in Bransat, in the Allier department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Built in the 15th century, it allows the crossing of the Gaduet by the departmental road D280. With a width of 3.45 meters and a length of about 20 meters, it is characterized by sandstone parapets, equipped with tongues, typical of the architecture of the time. These parapets swell at the entrances, and an octagonal base near the northwest entrance suggests the ancient presence of a cross, according to medieval custom.

The structure rests on a central pile reinforced upstream by a fore-bec, the upper part of which forms an empty station on the apron. This technical detail illustrates the know-how of the builders of the time, adapted to local hydraulic constraints. The bridge, owned by the Allier Department, was listed as a historic monument by order of 23 September 1971, recognizing its heritage value and its role in the history of regional infrastructure.

At the time of its construction in the 15th century, the region was marked by a rural social organization and local exchanges intensified by means of communication channels. Bridges, such as Bransat's, played a key role in territorial networking, facilitating the movement of people, goods and herds. Their maintenance was often the responsibility of local lords or village communities, reflecting the collective importance attached to these works for economic and social development.

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