Pont Neuf and its message of unity
Paris holds a soft spot in my heart. It was the first city abroad that I visited as a child, while its picturesque streets became, on several occasions, the stage where some of my most tender experiences unfolded. The essence of the city exists inside me; over the years, it has almost become part of my identity. Sometimes, moths pass by without thinking about it, and then, suddenly, a memory – a recollection, often inconsequential – surfaces, transcending me for a while to the familiar neighbourhoods.
Today, I remembered my last trip there, more than three years ago (it feels like in another lifetime), and the afternoon I spent strolling by the Seine, greeting the promenades with the joy one feels when encountering an old friend. It was September, but the weather had been particularly wintery, with heavy rains and a staggering drop in the temperature. Still, that particular afternoon was pleasant: the sky was blue, adorned with clouds the colour of cotton, and there was a feeling of vastness, freedom, and elation that only Paris instils inside me. Suddenly, a tiny rainbow sprouted from the legendary Pont Neuf, as if the city wanted to send me a message: a reminder that, back then, I was not to ready to receive. I only took the photo as a memento.
It is widely known that Pont Neuf (translating into the “New Bridge”) is the oldest, still in use bridge in Paris. Its construction started by Henry III and was concluded at the beginning of the 17th century by Henry IV, who, on its inauguration day, crossed it proudly on horseback.
Pont Neuf implemented a series of innovations that were ground-breaking at the time. It was the first bridge constructed entirely of stone, unlike all the others which, until then, were mostly made of wood, thus remaining vulnerable to fire, floods, and overall deterioration. It was unusually long (until today one of the longest bridges in the city), and wide – wider than most streets. Instead of being lined on either side by buildings and shops, it introduced the first sidewalks in Paris, allowing the citizens to enjoy relaxing promenades and romantic vistas of the Seine without any obstruction. Its sides were decorated with 381 faces, known as mascarons, representing satyrs, forest divinities, and mythological creatures.
Despite its beauty, it is not the architectural and engineering features that turned Pont Neuf into a symbol. At the end of the 16th century, France was torn apart by the long-lasting Wars of Religion raging between Catholics and Protestants. In 1598, the Edict of Nantes (signed by Henry IV) finally offered to the Protestants religious and civil freedoms, bringing peace to the country. At that time, the King decided to continue the vision of his predecessor and build the first bridge over the Seine across the Île de la Cité, uniting the three disconnected parts of Paris – the Left Bank, the Right Bank, and the island between them that defined the heart of the city since antiquity. In constructing it, Henri IV created an intimate, permanent bond between the Parisians and the river: the lifeblood of their city. As time passed, Pont Neuf turned into a social and cultural hub, open to all – royalty, artists, businessmen, and peasants alike – reinforcing a sense of unity that Paris had just started to acquire and has maintained to this day.
Human history is full of periods during which we are drawn apart either by necessity (like the recent lockdowns) or by force and conflict. In our darkest moments, though, there are always those who choose to build bridges, reinforcing the links that keep us connected, paving the way forward in unity.
As I look at the photo of Pont Neuf sparkling under the autumn sun, adorned with a rainbow, like a crown, I finally manage to grasp the magnitude of its symbolism, and the geographic, historical, social, and cultural unity that it achieved. Four centuries later, solidarity and peace remain a utopia: a point of perfection that we perpetually aspire to reach. The sturdy nature of the bridge, though, is there to remind everyone who wishes to read between the lines that a strong vision can go a long way, and the reinforcement of the bonds that keep us together has much more lasting effects than any conflict that keeps us apart.
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
