Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Queen Jeanne Bridge, located at Saint-Benoît in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is a medieval work attested by 1296, although its current structure dates mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. He crossed the Coulomp, a local river, and his name evokes Jeanne I of Naples, although this name is recent. Its architecture combines a unique arch of 29 metres in range and a key height of 12.5 metres, with narrow parapets and asymmetrical abutments, reflecting successive technical adaptations.

The first mention of a bridge at this site dates back to 1296, but the current structure is the result of subsequent reconstructions. In 1676, the community of Saint-Benoît requested its reconstruction, entrusted to the architect Louis II Vallon. The works, awarded in 1682 to Garcin Pelet, failed quickly due to building defects. A new project was launched in 1712, but delays accumulated until Joseph Blanc, carpenter of the Fugeret, won the auction in 1728 for 9,180 pounds. The bridge was completed in 1733, with a marked asymmetry due to modifications of the original project to avoid unstable soil.

The bridge was listed as a historic monument in 1928, recognizing its heritage value. His name, associated with Queen Jeanne I of Naples, appeared only in the 20th century, when he was formerly simply called the bridge of Saint Benedict. In 2024, it received EUR 50 000 in support of the Heritage Mission to remedy the damage caused by erosion and lack of maintenance. Materials, such as limestone moellons and irregular harpsichords, bear witness to local construction techniques and the challenges posed by the site.

The dimensions of the bridge — 42.15 metres long, 2.70 metres wide, and a right bank abutment extended to 4.20 metres — reveal an adaptation to topographical constraints. The arch, in double roll of stones, recalls that of the Fugeret bridge, suggesting a regional influence. The repairs of the 18th and 20th centuries (especially in 1942 and 1978) allowed it to be preserved, despite the damage suffered in 1940. Today, there is still evidence of local exchanges, especially for sheep transhumance.

The history of the bridge illustrates the administrative and technical difficulties of public projects under the Old Regime. Delays, additional costs (£6,180 to £9,180) and last-minute adjustments reflect the realities of provincial yards. The archives also mention missing buttresses, visible on the Napoleonic cadastre but absent from the documents of the eighteenth century, highlighting the transformations suffered by the monument. His inscription in 1928 helped protect him, while anchoring his identity in the legend of Queen Jeanne.

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