I = Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis - A to Z Challenge

Île (Fr.) = Island (Eng.)

Pont Neuf (New Bridge), Île de la Cité, Paris - by DG Hudson

Île de la Cité


The Île de la Cité, in the Seine River, is connected to the rest of Paris by bridges to both banks of the river and to the Île Saint-Louis. The oldest surviving bridge in Paris is the Pont Neuf, which lies at the western end of the island.  The Pont Neuf was inaugurated in 1607 and today remains a favourite spot of visitors.  The Prefecture de Police, the Palais de Justice and the Hotel-Dieu hospital are also on this island.


Three medieval buildings remain on the Île de la Cité (east to west):

The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, built from 1163 on the site of a church dedicated to Saint Étienne, which in turn occupied a sacred pagan site of Roman times.



Notre Dame, Île de la Cité - by DG Hudson




Louis IX's Sainte-Chapelle (1245), built as a reliquary to house religious artifacts.
La Sainte-Chapelle, The Holy Chapel, is the only surviving building of the Capetian royal palace on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris, France.

La Conciergerie is a former royal palace and prison in Paris located on the west of the Île de la Cité, near the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.  This is the prison where Marie Antoinette awaited execution in 1793.  The Conciergerie had an unpleasant reputation before it became famous as the "antechamber to the guillotine" during the Reign of Terror, in the French Revolution. 

While the building looks like a brooding medieval fortress, this appearance actually only dates from about 1858.

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The Centre


The Île de la Cité remains the heart of Paris. All road distances in France are calculated from the 0 km point located in the Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame, the square facing Notre-Dame's west end-towers.





The Centre of Paris, Notre Dame square - by DG Hudson

 

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Île Saint-Louis


The Île Saint-Louis is named after King Louis IX of France, 25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270, who was commonly called Saint Louis.  The island is connected to the rest of Paris by bridges to both banks of the river and by the Pont Saint Louis to the Île de la Cité.


The island was formerly used for the grazing of market cattle and stocking wood.   There are only narrow one-way streets and no metro station, due to its residential layout.  This is where you'll find small family-owned bistros with great food and a variety of small shops.
 

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On the Île Saint-Louis:

Berthillon, a French maker and retailer of luxury ice cream and sorbet, has its primary store on the Île Saint-Louis.  Some cafes advertise on their menus that they feature  Berthillon products in their dessert line.

Conciergerie overlooking the Seine River by DG Hudson

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Do you like exploring little communities like these two islands?  Do you know of any other river with islands like these?
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References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_Saint-Louis  Île Saint-Louis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_IX_of_France  Louis IX

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Ele_de_la_Cit%C3%A9  Île de la Cité

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conciergerie Conciergerie

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sainte-Chapelle Sainte Chapelle




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B = Bridges of Paris - A to Z Blog Challenge

Seine River Bridges at Dusk from Eiffel Tower - by DG Hudson



Bridges in Paris cross the Seine River some 37 times if you count pedestrian, rail and auto traffic bridges. Each is unique in design, size, and age, but all connect the two sides of Paris, the Right and Left Banks of the river.  A few connect the two main islands in the Seine, the Île de la Cité and the Île Saint-Louis and one or two have rail lines. 

Paris bridges seem to draw visitors to the Seine River, especially the Pont Neuf, the Pont D’Iena and the Pont Alexander III.   (A pont = bridge)



Grotesques line the overhang on the Pont Neuf, Paris  - by DG Hudson


Pont Neuf

It was the New Bridge when it was built in 1607.  Now, it's the oldest bridge.  It was the first stone bridge in Paris that did not support houses in addition to a thoroughfare, and it had curved bastions* so pedestrians could step aside to let a carriage pass. The decision not to include houses on the bridge can be traced back directly to Henry IV, who didn't want to impede his view of the Louvre. The bridge connects the left bank with the right bank over the western tip of the Île de la Cité.

*Bastions on the bridge deck are the curved places shown above. You can just see the small grotesques lining the edge.





Detail on Pont Alexander III - Paris, by DG Hudson



Pont Alexandre III

The most sumptuous bridge of Paris opened just in time for the Universal Exposition of 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia. The bridge is decorated with lampposts and sculptures of cherubs and nymphs. Tall pillars on either side of the bridge are topped with large gilded statues.

Under the Eiffel, Pont D'Iena, Paris - by DG Hudson

Pont d'Iéna


This bridge which leads from the Trocadéro to the Eiffel Tower, was built between 1808 and 1814. It was named after the German city of Jena (Iéna in French) where Napoléon had defeated the Prussian army in 1806.


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A few other notables:


Pont Notre Dame


In Roman times, this was known as the Grand Pont (large bridge) and connected the Ile de la Cite' with the Right bank. The current bridge was originally built in 1853 with five small spans, but had to be redesigned in 1919 after many accidents. At that time, the middle three spans were replaced by a single span.


Pont Marie

Pont Marie, the next oldest bridge in Paris after the Pont Neuf, was built between 1614 and 1635.  The Pont Marie connects the Île St. Louis with the right bank of the Seine River.


Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir

A recently completed pedestrian bridge, the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir leads from the Bibliotheque Nationale towards the Bercy Park.  Named after Simone de Beauvoir, a famous French author, philosopher, feminist, and companion of Jean-Paul Sartre.

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This post shows a token number of the bridges that cross the Seine River in Paris.  I've included links for those that might want to know more.

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DG's A to Z Challenge Theme:  Paris, Etc.   (Art, Film, People and Places)

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References:
http://www.pariswater.com/ponts/  Paris Bridges

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bridges_in_Paris   List of bridges in Paris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine  Seine River

http://www.aparisguide.com/seine/index.html  Seine River


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Is there any special type of bridge that you like? (old wooden, wrought iron, suspension/cable design, or stone old-style)

Any writing memories associated with bridges?  Please share in the comments. 

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