Pont Saint-Bénézet
| Pont Saint-Bénézet | |
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The surviving four arches of the Pont St-Bénézet
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| Coordinates | 43°57′14″N 4°48′18″E / 43.95389°N 4.80500°ECoordinates: 43°57′14″N 4°48′18″E / 43.95389°N 4.80500°E |
| Built | 1177–1185 |
| Official name: Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | i, ii, iv |
| Designated | 1995 |
| Reference no. | 228 |
| State Party |
 France
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| Official name: Chapelle et pont Saint-Bénézet | |
| Designated | 1840 |
| Reference no. | PA00081815 |
 Location of Pont Saint-Bénézet in France
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The Pont Saint-Bénézet (French pronunciation: [pɔ̃ sɛ̃ benezɛ]), also known as the Pont d'Avignon (IPA: [pɔ̃ daviɲɔ̃]), is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, in southern France.
A bridge spanning the Rhône between Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Avignon was built between 1177 and 1185. This early bridge was destroyed forty years later during the Albigensian Crusade when Louis VIII of France laid siege to Avignon. The bridge was rebuilt with 22 stone arches. It was very costly to maintain as the arches tended to collapse when the Rhône flooded. Eventually in the middle of the 17th century the bridge was abandoned. The four surviving arches on the bank of the Rhône are believed to have been built in around 1345 by Pope Clement VI during the Avignon Papacy. The Chapel of Saint Nicholas sits on the second pier of the bridge. It was constructed in the second half of 12th century but has since been substantially altered. The western terminal, the Tour Philippe-le-Bel, is also preserved.
The bridge was the inspiration for the song Sur le pont d'Avignon and is considered a landmark of the city. In 1995, the surviving arches of the bridge, together with the Palais des Papes and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms were classified as a World Heritage Site.
The bridge spanned the Rhône between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It was built between 1177 and 1185, with an original length of some 900 m (980 yd). The bridge was destroyed during the siege of Avignon by Louis VIII of France in 1226 but beginning in 1234 it was rebuilt. Historians have suggested that the earlier bridge may have consisted of a wooden superstructure supported on stone piers and that only when rebuilt was the bridge constructed entirely in stone. The bridge was only 4.9 m (16 ft) in width, including the parapets at the sides. The arches were liable to collapse when the river flooded and were sometimes replaced with temporary wooden structures before being rebuilt in stone.
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