Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Pont Saint-Martin de Vienne, located in the Vallée de Gère district, crosses the river Gère and connects rue Joseph Martin with the church Saint-Martin. Its existence is attested well before the 14th century: charters of Cluny of the 11th century already mention a double passage on the Gère, suggesting a Roman origin for these bridges. The present bridge, named after the proximity of Saint Martin's church, replaced an older structure destroyed by a flood around 1375.

The stone reconstruction began in July 1395, financed in part by a legacy of Guillaume Blanc in 1387. The works, led by the entrepreneurs Jacques Beaujeu and Étienne Comte, were completed at the end of 1399, as evidenced by a release dated January 10, 1400. A decree by Jacques de Montmaur, governor of Dauphiné, in 1399 accelerated the completion of the single arch bridge. As early as 1401, a stone cross was erected, and a house leaned on its parapet, giving it its present appearance.

Contrary to certain beliefs, the bridge is not a creation of Jean de Bernin, although he was able to intervene on an earlier version. Materials, such as the choin stone extracted near the mills of the Four, were chosen for their durability. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1924, the bridge, still intact despite the disappearance of its cross, now serves as a pedestrian bridge.

Its history reflects the strategic importance of medieval bridges to connect the suburbs with city centres. In Vienna, this bridge played a key role in the exchanges between the city and the Seventh Valley, while marking the departure of a Roman route to Lyon. The frequent floods of the Gère explain the successive reconstructions, illustrating the technical and financial challenges of the medieval municipalities.

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