Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Grand-Pont de Nemours is an arc road bridge located in the town of Nemours, Seine-et-Marne. Built between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, it spans the Loing and connects the historic centre of the city to its eastern part. This bridge, inscribed in historical monuments since 19 March 1926, is a remarkable example of engineering at the time, with very flat arches, a particular feature of the bridges designed by Jean-Rodolphe Perronet.

Nemours' original bridge was taken away by a flood of the Loing in 1770. Jean-Rodolphe Perronet, a famous engineer, drew up the plans for a new bridge in 1771, but the works did not begin until 1795, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Dherbelot and with the participation of engineer Louis-Charles Boistard. The foundations were realized in 1796 and 1797, but the work was slowed down by financial problems. They resumed in 1803, and the bridge was completed in 1804, in time for Pope Pius VII's passage on November 21 of this year.

The design of the bridge is notable for its low arrow arches, a characteristic of the Perronet bridges. The three spans, originally planned at 15.27 meters opening, were finally built with a range of 16.25 meters, making it, after the destruction of the bridge of Saint-Dié in 1944, the most flattened vaults of France. The deck of the bridge, 11.04 meters wide between the parapets, is accessible to pedestrians via two stairs located at its ends.

Today, the Grand-Pont de Nemours remains a key element of the urban landscape and a testament to the engineering of the 18th and 19th century bridges. It is located between the streets of Paris and Souvenir, and is part of the department road 607. Its inscription in the historic monuments in 1926 underlined its heritage and architectural importance.

External links