In Limay, facing Mantes-la-Jolie, the Old Bridge still stretches its stone arches across the Seine. Well… part of it, at least. Because the structure, built between the 12th and 13th centuries, is actually divided into two sections — and that’s what makes it truly fascinating. Erected in the Middle Ages, the Old Bridge of Limay once formed a crucial link between Normandy and Paris. In those days, controlling a bridge meant controlling trade, movement — and sometimes even armies.
Built from stone, with arches resting on sturdy piers, it exemplifies the architecture of medieval bridges: strong, massive, designed to withstand the Seine's floods and the repeated passage of wagons. Several mills once lined this crossing, the last of which was swept away during a flood. The bridge was also immortalized by painter Camille Corot: his work "The Bridge of Mantes", depicting it, is now housed in the Louvre Museum. While the bridge is no longer intact today, it’s not solely the passage of time that bears the blame.
The fate of Limay Old Bridge takes a dramatic turn in the 20th century, amidst World War II. In June 1940, as German troops rapidly close in on Paris, the French military makes the difficult decision to destroy several strategic structures to slow their advance. The Old Bridge of Limay is intentionally blown up. Several arches are dismantled to prevent the Germans from crossing the Seine. But the story doesn’t end there. In 1944, during Allied bombings targeting infrastructure used by the German forces, the area is hit once again. These additional damages further worsen the battered state of the already mutilated bridge.
After the war, it was left unreconstructed. Too heavily damaged and no longer suited to contemporary needs, it remained in this unique state: cut off in the middle of the river, appearing as if suspended in time. Today, the Old Bridge of Limay stands as one of the oldest surviving bridges in Île-de-France. Its truncated silhouette lends it an almost nostalgic charm.
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