The Pont Julien (
French for ''Julian Bridge'') is a
Roman stone arch bridge over the
Calavon river, in the south-east of
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, dating from 3 BC. The supporting columns are notable for openings to allow floodwater to pass through.
It is located in the territory of the commune of
Bonnieux
Bonnieux (; oc, Bonius) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,206. In the plain below the village stands the notable Roman bridge the Pont Jul ...
, north of the village of the same name, and
8 km west of
Apt
Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment.
Apt may also refer to:
Places
* Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence
* Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France
* A ...
. Originally, it was built on the
Via Domitia
The Via Domitia was the first Roman road built in Gaul, to link Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now Southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, and tr ...
, an important
Roman road which connected Italy to the Roman territories in France. It was used for car traffic until 2005, when a replacement bridge was built to preserve it from wear and tear. It is still used as bike- and footpath. This amounts to approximately 2000 years of uninterrupted use.
Gallery
File:Pont Julien, Provence.jpg, View of the Pont Julien
File:Pont Julien, a 3 BC Roman arch bridge over the Calavon river, built on the Via Domitia, France (14715047351).jpg, View of the underside of one of the arches
Pont Julien - new road bridge.jpg, The modern bridge crossing the Cavalon upriver of the bridge
Bonnieux Pont Julien.jpg, View of the bridge on an old postcard
File:Pont Julien, a 3 BC Roman arch bridge over the Calavon river, built on the Via Domitia, France (14531782037).jpg, The dry riverbed of the Calavon and the main arch of the bridge
File:Pont Julien in March.jpg, Pont Julien in March
See also
*
List of bridges in France
This list of bridges in France lists bridges of particular historical, scenic, architectural or engineering interest. Road and railway bridges, viaducts, aqueducts and footbridges are included.
Historical and architectural interest bridges
{{row ...
*
List of Roman bridges
This is a list of Roman bridges. The Romans were the world's first major bridge builders. The following list constitutes an attempt to list all known surviving remains of Roman bridges.
A Roman bridge in the sense of this article includes an ...
*
Roman architecture
Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome ...
*
Roman engineering
References
*
*
External links
*
Traianus– Technical investigation of Roman public works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Julien, Pont
Roman bridges in France
Deck arch bridges
Stone bridges in France
Bridges completed in the 1st century BC
Buildings and structures in Vaucluse
Transport in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Tourist attractions in Vaucluse