Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Pont Saint-Antoine, built in the 15th century in Clisson, is attributed to the Duke of Brittany Francis II when he took possession of the seigneury. This masonry bridge, crossing the Moine, was subject to a toll for users, with detailed tariffs in 1741 (charts, horses, oxen, sheep). These fees were doubled on fair days, reflecting its local economic importance.

In 1750 the Prince of Soubise, heir to the tolls, obtained the exemption from maintaining the bridge by relinquishing his property. The maintenance was resumed by the Province in 1770, but a flood in 1771 damaged its parapets. Despite a royal stop of 1746 prohibiting constructions on the river bed, encroachments persisted, aggravating flooding. In 1773, the application of this judgment remained uncertain due to conflicts of jurisdiction.

Ranked a historic monument on March 18, 1922, the bridge is distinguished by its two uneven ogival arches (9.94 m and 7.61 m of opening). The central pile, with a triangular foreshore on the upstream side, illustrates medieval construction techniques. It was 4.60 m wide and served as both a communication channel and an economic control point via tolls.

Today owned by the commune of Clisson, the Pont Saint-Antoine remains a major architectural and historical testimony of the Loire-Atlantique. Its ranking protects a structure that has survived centuries of intensive use, flooding and political change, while maintaining its original characteristics.

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