Provided for in the town's founding charter of 1144, the bridge was not finally built until the early 14th century, with the support of King Philip the Fair. A true technical feat, the 205-meter-long bridge connects two banks of unequal heights. Completed in 1335, the Old Bridge was once protected by two towers and housed a chapel in its center dedicated to Saint Catherine, patron saint of mariners.
These were destroyed over the centuries to facilitate traffic. For seven centuries, its high arches and strong piers equipped with fore-beams and pierced with gills have enabled it to withstand the most terrible floods of the Tarn.
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