Pont d’Avignon

The Pont d’Avignon is probably the last of the major tourist sites I would be able to visit here in Avignon. The bridge marks the end of the route I have taken the whole morning. I guess it is only fitting that I end it here. The bridge is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Avignon. I didn’t know of this bridge before coming here so maybe it wasn’t that famous outside of France. The Pont Avignon almost crosses the river Rhône. I say almost crosses because it stops more than halfway across the river. This was a rather bizarre situation for a bridge to be in.

The Pont d’Avignon obviously was built to cross the river Rhône. At that time, the river wasn’t a placid as it is right now. There were periods when the river would overflow which in turn causes destruction to property. Building a bridge which crosses this kind of river wasn’t easy. In fact, they had to try several times to get it right. It worked, for a while, that is. The river was too powerful and part of the bridge gave away over the years. More recently, the flow of the river was controlled so it isn’t as powerful now. However, the bridge wasn’t ever completed again, perhaps it is better left incomplete.

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