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Origin and history

The White Queen Bridge, also known as the White Lady Bridge, is a 14th-century medieval structure located in Boussy-Saint-Antoine, across the Yerres River. Built of stone, it consists of four full arches: three large main arches about 4 meters wide and a fourth more modest, designed to evacuate the waters during floods. Each arch rests on massive abutments reinforced by foothills, illustrating the construction techniques of the era.

According to a local tradition reported by a plaque on the parapet, this bridge dates back to 1446 and was ordered between 1350 and 1360 by Jeanne d'Evreux, widow of Charles IV the Bel. A local legend, recorded in 1911 by the scholar Charles Motheau, tells us that Jeanne d'Évreux, nicknamed the White Queen and Lady of Brie-Comte-Robert, ordered her construction after an accident that occurred during the crossing of the Boussy ford. As she returned from Corbeil after a visit to her niece, her hash almost got carried away by the swollen waters of the Yerres, pushing the queen to finance a safer bridge.

The bridge, owned by the Essonne department, was listed as a historic monument on 20 July 1972. It was completely restored in 2008, financed by the departmental council to the tune of €400,000. Today, it supports departmental 33 and remains a remarkable testimony of medieval civil architecture in Île-de-France, while ensuring a modern road function thanks to a system of alternating lights.

The available sources, including Wikipedia and the Merimée base, confirm its status as a protected monument and its precise location at 1 Rue du Moulin Neuf in Boussy-Saint-Antoine. Its modern enlargement is excluded from heritage protection, stressing the importance of preserving its original state.

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