Pont de la Tournelle
The Tournelle Bridge connects Ile St-Louis to the Quai de la Tournelle on the Left Bank, and is linked to the Pont Marie on the north side of the island by the Rue des Deux Ponts.
A wooden bridge was built in the 14th century to connect the Left Bank to Île Notre-Dame, one of the islets that formed the present-day Île Saint-Louis.
This bridge was swept away by the devastating floods of 1651. In 1656, Christophe Marie, the architect of Île Saint-Louis, built and replaced it with a stone bridge.
However, the six semi-circular arches of this first stone bridge obstructed navigation, thus it was modified several times over the years.
In 1845, it was widened, but it was finally demolished between 1918 and 1921 and replaced by the current Tournelle Bridge.
Designed by engineersDeval, Lang, andRetraint, the modern Pont de la Tournelle was completed in 1928. Its reinforced concrete structure is concealed behind a stone cladding, giving it both durability and aesthetic appeal. It was named after one of the watchtowers on the Philip Augustus’ Wall, Tour de La Tournelle, which commanded the Seine upstream.
Statue of Sainte-Geneviève by Landowski
In 1928, the City of Paris commissioned the sculptor Landowski (who also created Christ the Redeemer in Rio) to create a statue of Sainte-Geneviève to be placed on the Pont de la Tournelle.
Landowski depicted the patron saint of Paris as a young woman in a protective pose, cradling a child holding a vessel, the symbol of the City of Paris. The 5.40-metre-high statue was carved directly from an imposing 14-metre monolith, and is thus visible from afar.
Landowski had originally envisioned a shorter statue, facing Notre-Dame Cathedral downstream. However, at the City’s request, the statue was placed facing west, symbolically protecting Paris from any potential threat coming from upstream.
Interesting fact, the statue was installed on the site where the saint’s reliquary was temporarily kept in 885 before being moved to the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont Church.
Metro: Pont Marie on Line 7
Coordinates: Lat 48.850341 – Long 2.355269
