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Origin and history

The Devil's Bridge, also known as the Old Ceret Bridge, is a single arched stone work built between 1321 and 1341. With a range of 45.45 meters and a height of 22.30 meters, it briefly holds the world record for the longest stone arch (1341-1356), before being overtaken by the Scaliger Bridge in Italy. Funded by the town of Céret and the neighbouring villages, it underwent major repairs in the 18th century, notably in 1718 (south-cule), 1735-1741 (pave, cracks, foothills), and 1750-1762 (support walls). In 1793 he barely escaped the destruction by General Dagobert, saved in extremis by the intervention of the conventional Joseph Cassanyes.

The local legend attributes its construction to the Devil, a belief mentioned in the eighteenth century by authors such as Piganiol de La Force or Victor Dujardin. According to the versions, Satan would have obstructed the work by overturning the stones at night, or built the bridge in one night. These stories, common for bold works, reflect admiration for a medieval technical feat. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the bridge also inspired culture: painted by Cézanne or Bioulès, it appeared in the cinema (Le Bossu, 1959) and even in a symbolic marriage in 2013, when an Australian artist, Jodi Rose, married.

Beyond its history, the bridge illustrates Catalan medieval engineering and the strategic role of Ceret, a border town between France and Spain. His unique arch, exceptional for the time, served as much for trade as for defence, as evidenced by the chapel-guardian mentioned in 1722. Today, there remains a symbol of the Roussillon heritage, mixing technical heritage, legends and artistic traces.

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