The Pont Alexandre IIIis one of the most beautiful and legendary bridges in Paris. Inaugurated on the occasion ofthe 1900 World's Fair, the Pont Alexandre III was built to symbolize the Franco-Russian alliance signed in 1891.
It is no coincidence that it is named after the Russian Tsar Alexander III. In return, the Trinity Bridge was built over the Neva River in Saint Petersburg. The first stone of the Alexander III Bridge was laid by Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fedorovna in 1896.
The Pont Alexandre III connectsthe Esplanade des InvalidesandAvenue Winston Churchill, where the Petit Palaisand Grand Palais are located, also built for the 1900 World's Fair on the site of the Palais de l'Industrie. Engineers Jean Résal and Amédée Alby, and architects Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin were entrusted with the construction of the Pont Alexandre III.
The latter had to adapt to the specifications, which required the bridge to be decorative and flat enough to allow an unobstructed view between the Champs-Elysées and Les Invalides, without hindering river traffic.
They built a remarkable 160-meter-long cast steel bridge. As specified in the specifications, the Pont Alexandre III is beautifully decorated. Thirty-two bronze candelabras (beautiful multi-branched street lamps), four 17-meter-high pillars topped with gilded renown figures, rich Louis XIV-style cast iron decorations, and beautiful lion statues at each end enhance this bridge, which has been classified as a historical monument since 1975.
A must-see in Paris, to be admired day and night!
