Pont Alexandre III
PAR-17 • monuments1896 - 1900

Pont Alexandre III

The most ornate Beaux-Arts bridge in Paris with gilded Fames and Art Nouveau lamps

48.863600°N, 2.313600°E•city Axis
Documented Historiographical History

Constructed between 1896 and 1900 to commemorate the Franco-Russian Alliance, named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia whose son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone. Opened for the 1900 Expo.

Architectural & Symbolic Reading

A monumental bridge of friendship and radiant light connecting the Right Bank Grand Palais to the Left Bank Esplanade des Invalides.

Historical Legends & Mysteries

The river nymphs cast in hammered copper at the center of the arch were believed to protect Paris from catastrophic Seine river floods.

Insider Curiosities & Secret Facts
•The bridge is a single-span cast-steel arch spanning 107.5 meters with a height of only 6 meters, intentionally low so it would never obstruct the view of Les Invalides.
•Four 17-meter-tall masonry pylons at the bridge corners are crowned with gilded bronze statues of Fame restraining Pegasus.
•32 Art Nouveau candelabras, cast-iron cherubs, and sea spirits illuminate the roadway at dusk.
Related Tags:#Pont Alexandre III#Beaux-Arts#Gilded Statues#Seine Bridge#Art Nouveau

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