Before arriving at the bridge, we bumped into our NYC friends from school in Paris. We knew that they had taken the same train trip a few days before. The kids decided that a celebratory ice cream was in order. Our friends warned us that the railings on the Pont d'Avignon were a bit sketchy.
These are not the railings I am talking about.
Indeed just one monkey bar move or stumble and you would be in the Rhone or on the road, which the bridge also crosses. There were many nervous adults clutching the hands of angry children. I just read that France may soon adopt class action law suits. I may join the traumatized parents sur le Pont d'Avignon. Seriously, those railings need some work.
There are two chapels on what is left of the bridge. The bridge is also called Pont Saint-Bénezet.
According to Wikipedia:
The bridge's construction was inspired by Saint Bénézet, a local shepherd boy who (according to tradition) was commanded by angels to build a bridge across the river. Although he was ridiculed at first, he dramatically "proved" his divine inspiration by miraculously lifting a huge block of stone. He won support for his project from wealthy sponsors who formed themselves into a Bridge Brotherhood to fund its construction. After his death, he was interred on the bridge itself, in a small chapel standing on one of the bridge's surviving piers on the Avignon side.
The bridge spanned the Rhône River between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon on the right bank. It was built between 1177 and 1185. The bridge was damaged during the siege of Avignon by Louis VIII of France in 1226 but beginning in 1234 the bridge was rebuilt. The arches of the bridge often collapsed during floods and had to be rebuilt.
The bridge fell into a state of disrepair during the 17th century. By 1644 it was missing 4 arches and finally a catastrophic flood in 1669 swept away much of the structure. Since then, its surviving arches have successively collapsed or been demolished, and only four of the initial 22 arches remain intact today.
The bridge had great strategic importance as when it was built it was the only fixed river crossing between Lyon and the Mediterranean Sea. It also formed the only river crossing between the Comtat Venaissin, an enclave controlled by the Pope, and France proper under the authority of the kings of France.
We did not actually go inside the Palais des Pâpes, but we walked around the surrounding plaza and checked out the scene. It was just about aperitif time and there were lots of people enjoying a drink on various patios and plazas.
The Palais des Papes (lo Palais dei Papas in Occitan) is a historical palace in Avignon, southern France, one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. One time fortress and palace, the papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century. Six papal conclaves were held in the Palais, leading to the elections of Benedict XII in 1334, Clement VI in 1342, Innocent VI in 1352, Urban V in 1362, Gregory XI in 1370 and Antipope Benedict XIII in 1394.
Papal Palace
or
Merry-go-round?
The girls were on the second story on a bench swing that they could swing with a rope.
This theatre was right next to the merry-go-round and the opera of Romeo and Juliet was playing. We could hear them practicing. Maybe my in-laws would like to visit this area--wine and opera!
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