Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard)
MonumentHidden Treasure
Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard), located in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.6890, 4.6135
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081183
Suspended between two banks of the Rhône, this elegant 19th-century cable-stayed bridge links Arles to Fourques in an exceptional Provencal landscape, a rare testimony to the romantic engineering of the 1830s and 1840s.
History
Stretching over the Grand Rhône like a ribbon of steel and stone, the old Fourques suspension bridge is one of those works of art that can move as well as fascinate. Linking the Arles side of the river to the commune of Fourques, in neighbouring Gard, it is the very embodiment of the area's dual membership of two départements, two identities, but the same Rhone culture. Built in the second quarter of the nineteenth century, during the golden age of French suspension bridges, this structure belongs to a generation of infrastructures that revolutionised the crossing of major rivers. Where ferries and boats had reigned for centuries, the engineers of the July Monarchy imposed their taut lines and masonry pylons, combining utility with a certain industrial elegance. The Fourques bridge is one of the most authentic examples of this in the south of France. The experience of crossing it is astonishing: from the bridge deck, you can see the meandering Rhône, the reed beds and the changing lights of the nearby Camargue. The ashlar pylons, with their sober, massive silhouette, provide an architectural counterpoint to the spidery cables that carry the deck. The bridge blends naturally into the landscape, as if it had always been there. Its inclusion on the Monuments Historiques list in 1988 established the heritage value of a structure that had long been regarded as a mere road facility. It has enabled the bridge to be preserved in a remarkable state of repair, making it one of the last witnesses to that pivotal period when French engineering was inventing its new cathedrals of iron and stone, to serve trade and open up rural areas.
Architecture
The Fourques suspension bridge is typical of cable-stayed bridges built in the second quarter of the 19th century in France. Two sturdy, soberly ornamented limestone pylons rise from each bank of the Rhône to anchor the support system. Their slightly tapering silhouette towards the top, pierced by a semi-circular opening for the deck to pass through, gives them an austere elegance typical of the industrial neo-classical style of the July Monarchy. The deck is suspended by a network of wrought-iron cables, arranged in a bundle from the top of the pylons to the side fixings of the bridge. This technique, which creates the catenary curve so characteristic of suspension bridges, made it possible to span wide spans with a minimum of material, a major structural revolution compared with masonry or timber bridges. The main span, spanning the main branch of the Rhône, is the technical achievement of the whole project. The anchor abutments, massive masonry blocks buried in the banks, take up the considerable forces exerted by the tension of the cables. Their generous dimensions bear witness to the care taken by the builders to ensure the stability of a structure subjected to violent floods and the dynamic loads of the Mistral. The wrought-iron railings, with their geometric motifs typical of the period, complete a coherent architectural ensemble of remarkable stylistic unity.
Related Figures
Marc Seguin — ingénieur pionnier des ponts suspendus en France, dont les travaux inspirèrent directement la génération de constructeurs qui édifièrent le pont de FourquesLes ingénieurs des Ponts et Chaussées du département des Bouches-du-Rhône — responsables de la maîtrise d'œuvre de l'ouvrage sous la monarchie de JuilletLouis-Philippe Ier — dont le règne (1830-1848) vit la grande période de construction des ponts suspendus français financés par l'ÉtatLes mariniers et bateliers du Rhône — dont l'activité séculaire fut bouleversée par l'édification des ponts fixes sur le fleuveLes propriétaires terriens de la Camargue et de la Costière gardoise — principaux bénéficiaires économiques de la liaison permanente entre les deux rives
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) located?
Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) built?
Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) open to visitors?
Pont suspendu dit ancien pont de Fourques (également sur commune de Fourques, dans le Gard) is currently closed to visitors.