Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The bridge of the Chartreuse, located in Brives-Charensac in Haute-Loire, crosses the Loire at a strategic location where a Roman way, the "Voyée Bollene", connected Lyon to Bordeaux. This site first hosted a wooden Gaulish bridge, replaced by the Romans with a stone structure to facilitate the passage of their road. The current bridge, built in the 15th century, succeeds a medieval work mentioned in the 13th century under the name of "Pant Plancher", probably equipped with a wooden apron and serving as a toll passage.

Over the centuries, the bridge has undergone several transformations and damage. One ark was taken away by a flood in 1790, replaced by an access ramp, while another part was destroyed in 1907. A new flood in 1980 took the ramp to the right bank. Despite these hazards, the bridge retains its original five segmentary arches, with characteristic triangular fore-and rear-beeks. It was listed as a historic monument on February 21, 1914, recognizing its heritage importance.

The name "Chartreuse" comes from the Chartreuse de Notre-Dame du Puy, built in the 17th and 18th centuries nearby. The dimensions of the arches (range 13.40 m to 20.40 m) and the thickness of the batteries (up to 4.40 m) show its initial robustness. Although partially altered, the bridge remains a remarkable vestige of medieval architecture and the history of the Loire crossings in this region.

The historical sources, including the works of Marcel Prade and Serge Vannier, underline its link with the ancient channels of communication and its technical evolution, from the Gallic and Roman bridges to its reconstruction in masonry in the 15th century. Today, it belongs to the municipality of Brives-Charensac and constitutes a tangible testimony of the exchanges and challenges posed by the floods of the Loire through the ages.

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