Initial construction début XIVe siècle (avant 1320) (≈ 1404)
Bridge built in limestone.
1561
Sale of toll charge
Sale of toll charge 1561 (≈ 1561)
Assignment to the Bourdons by Saint-Barthélémy.
1674
End of toll
End of toll 1674 (≈ 1674)
Removal of the tax system.
1714
Death of the Count of Grignan
Death of the Count of Grignan 1714 (≈ 1714)
At the inn of the estate.
1746-1764
Expansion of the bridge
Expansion of the bridge 1746-1764 (≈ 1755)
Passage from 6 to ~9.6 meters.
16 juin 1944
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 16 juin 1944 (≈ 1944)
Official protection of the bridge.
1994
Restoration
Restoration 1994 (≈ 1994)
Directed by Mr. Sonnier.
18 décembre 2023
Registration
Registration 18 décembre 2023 (≈ 2023)
Extended site protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total, the castle of Saint-Pons with its terrace plated to the south, located at 3205 road d-Apt on Parcel No. 18, appearing in the cadastre section LM, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by decree of 24 December 2020; The estate of Saint-Pons, consisting of the following parts as delimited according to the plan annexed to the decree: the garden of the castle with its agricultural outbuildings, and the house West, in full, on parcels n° 16 and n° 18 appearing in the cadastre section LM; the old toll-inn (East Logis), in full, on Parcel No. 44 in the cadastre section KR; the mill and the log house, in whole, on parcel No. 20 in the cadastre section LM; the remains of the chapel on Parcel No. 59 in the cadastre section LI; the pig farm and the former stables on Parcel No. 16 in the Cadastre section LM; agricultural parcels on parcels No 16, 17, 18, 20 in the cadastre section LM, parcel No 28 in the cadastre section LN, parcel No 44 in the cadastre section KR; the entire hydraulic network of the estate and its installations; No 3205, No 3060, No 3225 Route d'Apt : entry by order of 18 December 2023
Key figures
Melchior Bourdon - Noble Aixois
Toll acquirer in 1561.
Comte de Grignan - Governor of Provence
Died the estate in 1714.
Famille Bourdon - Historical owner
Vigils and consuls of Aix.
M. Sonnier - Chief Architect
Directed the 1994 restoration.
Origin and history
The Saint-Pons Bridge is a 45-metre-long limestone masonry road bridge crossing the Arc River 10 km west of Aix-en-Provence. Built at the beginning of the 14th century (before 1320), it consists of four arches, three of which are low broken arches and one in full hanger. Its triangular foreclosures and its partially modified central pile bear witness to its medieval architecture. The bridge served as a strategic axis on the road from Marseille to Apt, bypassing Aix by the west.
Originally linked to a toll paid in 1561 by the nuns of Saint-Barthélémy to Melchior Bourdon, a member of an influential Aixese family, the bridge lost this system in 1674. The adjacent estate, including a castle, an inn and a chapel, belonged to this family, which occupied the local administrative offices (viguri, consuls). The count of Grignan, the son-in-law of Madame de Sévigné and governor of Provence, died there in 1714.
Between 1746 and 1764, the bridge was extended 3.60 metres upstream to facilitate trade, almost doubling its initial width. Ranked a historic monument in 1944, it was restored in 1994 under the direction of the chief architect of the historical monuments Mr. Sonnier. The estate of Saint-Pons, including remains and hydraulics, was registered in December 2023.
Today owned by the Bouches-du-Rhône department, the bridge remains a functional work, illustrating the evolution of construction techniques between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Its history also reflects the economic and social dynamics of Provence, between medieval tolls and adaptations to the commercial needs of the 17th and 18th centuries.
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