"Beneath the Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine. And our loves must remind me of this. Joy always came after sorrow," wrote Guillaume Apollinaire in his famous poem simply titled Le Pont Mirabeau.
It was the President of the Republic at the time, Sadi Carnot, who made the decision to build the Pont Mirabeauin 1893. And it was up to engineers Jean Résal, Paul Rabel, and Amédée Alby to design this new Parisian bridge.
They created a beautiful structure, 173 meters long, made entirely of metal. The choice of this material may seem bold for the time, but there is a reason for everything. The idea was to build a bridge with piers very close to both banks in order to facilitate river traffic. As it was impossible to build such a structure in stone, the architects opted for metal.
The Pont Mirabeau is also the first metal bridge composed of two symmetrical frames which, by bracing each other, give the structure its balance. It is a small architectural marvel. Résal and Alby would later use their knowledge in this field to build the Pont Alexandre III.
The Pont Mirabeau, classified as a historical monument in 1975, is beautifully decorated at the foot of each of its piers with four allegorical sculptures riding ships, created by Jean-Antoine Injalbert and representing Commerce, Navigation, Abundance, and the City of Paris.
Discover it on a beautiful summer day to enjoy the lovely view from the bridge!
