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Origin and history

The Roby Bridge, located at Felletin in the Creuse department, is a medieval work whose first records date back to 1447 under the name of bridge-soubre, cited in the Terrier des Chaités. This bridge, built on the Creuse River, had two central arches in broken arches, characteristic of Gothic architecture, as well as chaperone beaks. Its present name, Roby Bridge, was attributed to it in the 16th century, with reference to a local resident whose mill was nearby.

Over the centuries, the bridge has undergone several damage and repairs. In 1793 the council of Felletin authorized the engineer of the Bridges and Chaussées to use the materials of the destroyed fortification towers for its restoration. Two years later, in 1795, engineer Maniguet drew up a estimate of 9,001 pounds to repair the Roby Bridge and another work, the Pont des Malades. The construction manager, the Taste citizen, then advocated replacing triangular foremen with more resilient circular structures.

Work continued at the beginning of the 19th century, with an estimate by the Planier engineer in 1804 to consolidate the first pile, the parapets and the fore-beeks. In 1809, a prefectural decree identified a nearby dam as the main cause of repeated degradation. Finally, in 1861, a major restoration campaign was awarded to save the building, before it was added to the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments on June 15, 1926. Today, the bridge supports the D992 departmental road and preserves its four arches, two in the middle of the hangar and two in broken arches, as well as its dalled fore-beeks.

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