Construction of the bridge XIIIe-XVe siècle (≈ 1550)
Period of construction estimated between these centuries.
1904
Add parapet
Add parapet 1904 (≈ 1904)
Modern parapet added to the bridge.
1944
Partial destruction
Partial destruction 1944 (≈ 1944)
Central arch plasticized during World War II.
21 juin 1990
Registration historical monument
Registration historical monument 21 juin 1990 (≈ 1990)
Bridge registered by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Pont des Bonshommes sur la Gartempe, borrowed by the C. D. 203 de Bessines at Châteauponsac (Box H): inscription by order of 21 June 1990
Key figures
Religieux grandmontains - Local religious order
Probable origin of bridge name.
Origin and history
The Pont des Bonshommes is a medieval building located in Bessines-sur-Gartempe, Haute-Vienne. This bridge on the back of a donkey, about ten meters long, consists of three arches and crosses the Gartempe. His name would come from the Grandmontan religious, whose main abbey was about 20 kilometers from the site. This place, frequented from ancient times, was positioned on a major route from Limoges to Argenton-sur-Creuse.
Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, the bridge suffered significant damage during the Second World War. In 1944, his central arch was plasticized, requiring further reconstruction. The apron rests on three broken cradle arches and two reinforced fore-beek piles, while the oblique abutments direct the current in the event of a flood. The current parapet dates back to 1904. The bridge, owned by the department, has been listed as historic monuments since 21 June 1990.
Today, the Bonshommes bridge remains an architectural witness to the historical regional exchanges. It is taken by the departmental road 203 and is located at the place called Lavalette, northeast of Bessines-sur-Gartempe. Its inscription as a historic monument underscores its historic importance in the Limousin area, now integrated into the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
