Zouave Statue
The Zouave statue is the most famous feature of the Pont de l’Alma. The bridge, which spans the river Seine between the Eiffel Tower and the Hôtel des Invalides, was inaugurated by Napoleon III in 1856.
The statue of the Zouave soldier on its single pier is one of Paris’s most photographed sites. The Zouave Regiment participated in the Battle of the Alma on September 20, 1854, during the Crimean War, a significant conflict resulting in a victory for France, England, Piedmont, and the Ottoman Empire over Russia.
Originally, each of the bridge’s four piers was adorned with a statue representing a regiment that fought in the Crimean War. Arnaud sculpted the Infantry soldier and Artilleryman, while Diebolt sculpted the Grenadier and the famous Zouave.
When the Alma Bridge was rebuilt in 1974 due to its narrow and unstable structure, the statues were relocated, except for the Zouave, which was placed on the new bridge’s single pier.
André-Louis Gody served as model for the Zouave statue
André-Louis Gody (1828-1896) became famous when he was chosen as the model for the Zouave statue. A veteran of the Napoleonic wars, Gody was born in Gravelines in Northern France.
The Zouave statue on the Pont de l’Alma serves as an unofficial gauge for indicating the rise in the Seine’s water level. The river level is considered alarming when water reaches the feet of the statue.
The year 1910 is known for the “Flood of the 20th Century,” when the water rose by 8.62 meters, reaching the shoulders of the statue. Paris experienced other major floods in 1924 (7.30 meters), 1955 (7.12 meters), and 2001, when the water reached the statue’s knees after a 5-meter rise.
On December 27, 2010, the river overflowed once more, rising by 3.78 meters and reaching the feet of the statue, causing significant disruptions, including the closure of riverbanks and the Metro.
More recent floods occurred on June 4, 2016, when the Seine peaked at 6.10 meters, and on January 27, 2018, when the river level rose to 5.72 meters.
Directions: 8th district
Metro: Alma-Marceau on Line 9
Coordinates: Lat 48.863816 – Long 2.302013
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Floods of 1924 Photo Meurisse Public domain
