Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Bénézet Bridge, commonly known as the Avignon Bridge, is a medieval structure built from 1177 on ancient Roman abutments. When it was completed in 1185, it covered 920 metres with 22 arches, connecting Avignon with the Gard department. Too narrow for carts, it was mainly used to control traffic and collect tolls between the Pontifical State and the Kingdom of France.

Repeatedly damaged by the floods of the Rhône and the wars, the bridge was rebuilt several times, especially between 1234 and 1237. In 1479, after flooding, Louis XI ordered his reparation. In the 17th century, the arches gradually collapsed: one in 1603, three in 1605, and two in 1633. A flood in 1669 permanently reduced the bridge to its current four arches, 160 meters long.

On one of the pillars remains the chapel Saint-Bénézet, surmounted by the chapel Saint-Nicolas. Symbol of Avignon, the bridge inspired the song On the bridge of Avignon and was represented by artists such as Paul Signac or James Carroll Beckwith. It also illustrates the old logotype of the city, stylized with an elongated arch.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 1840, the bridge bears witness to the technical and political challenges of its time. Its history combines legend (that of Saint Bénézet, a young shepherd at the origin of its construction) and geopolitical reality, marked by tensions between the papacy and the crown of France. Today, its ruins recall its past role as a border post and strategic work on the Rhône.

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