Seven arches
Of different sizes.
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The Pont Neuf is a stone bridge over the Garonne in the centre of Toulouse, in south-west France, about 700 m in a straight line south-west of the Place du Capitole. Despite its name, which means «new bridge», it is the oldest bridge across the Garonne in the city. King Francis I pushed for a great bridge here, and work began in the 1540s. Violent floods and unstable ground made the work long and hard, and the bridge was only finished in 1632 by the Paris architect Jacques Lemercier. It was a new kind of bridge for its time, free of the houses and shops that crowded medieval bridges. Its seven arches of pink brick and pale stone are of different sizes, and round openings pierce the piers to let floodwater through, which gives the bridge its unusual look. It links the old town on the right bank with the Saint-Cyprien district on the left. The best views are from the riverside quays and the Prairie des Filtres park, especially at sunset, when the brick glows red and many people gather on the banks. The bridge is lit up in the evening and is free to cross at any time.
Of different sizes.
From the quays.
Left-bank park.
Garonne river, Toulouse, Haute-Garonne, France
To let floodwater through.
Yes, at any time.
