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© Jl Nogues Aubert, Office De Tourisme (3)

Old bridge

remarkable building spanning the Tarn

At the gateway to the city, its great arches elegantly span the river Tarn.

Originally a fortification element, it is built on 14 arches, 7 of which are above the Tarn and 7 on land, 23m above the Tarn, with two towers at each end.

During the siege of 1621, Louis XIII’s royal troops tried in vain to break the central arch, while cannons breached the tower on the Villebourbon side.

Did you know?

Until the early 14th century, the bridge was a natural frontier, simply linked by a ferry.

In 1304, Philippe IV le Bel granted permission to build a bridge over the river.

The engineers, Mathieu de Verdun and Étienne de Ferrières, took up a real challenge: to design a 205m-long structure linking two banks of unequal height. The bridge was completed in 1335.

Photo spotlight

ideal

The setting is ideal for your photographicmemories.

On one side, admire thecharismatic strings of the Pont Vieux, the Musée Ingres Bourdelle and the bell tower of the Eglise Saint-Jacques.

On the other, be charmed by the facades of the old mansions on Quai Villebourbon, which paint their reflections in the ripples of the Tarn.

Discover both sides of the

Old bridge

Turn left and the Ingres Bourdelle museum and entrance to the town center await you. Turn right and discover the Villebourbon district and its art-deco houses. The Pont Vieux is the hyphen linking the two banks of the Tarn.

Coeur de Ville

The inhabitants of the place will build a bridge over the Tarn. And when the bridge is built, the lord count will agree with six prudhommes, of the best advisors, inhabitants of the said place, on the rights they will have to establish there, so that the said bridge can be maintained and repaired.

Charter founding the town, October 9, 1144

Focus

Old bridge

Discover the history of the Pont Vieux with CIAP’s “Focus le Pont Vieux” brochure.

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