The Pont Alexandre III is a

deck arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ( ...

that spans the Seine in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. It connects the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is l ...

quarter with those of the

Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides ( en, "house of invalids"), commonly called Les Invalides (), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as ...

and

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "' ...

. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the city. It has been classified as a French '' monument historique'' since 1975. Pont Alexandre III

History

The

Beaux-Arts style Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpor ...

bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs,

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

s and winged horses at either end, was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Tsar Alexander III, who had concluded the

Franco-Russian Alliance The Franco-Russian Alliance (french: Alliance Franco-Russe, russian: Франко-Русский Альянс, translit=Franko-Russkiy Al'yans), or Russo-French Rapprochement (''Rapprochement Russo-Français'', Русско-Французско� ...

in 1892. His son Nicholas II laid the foundation stone in October 1896. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palais, to which it leads on the right bank. The construction of the bridge is a marvel of 19th century engineering, consisting of a high single span steel arch. The design, by the architects and Gaston Cousin, was constrained by the need to keep the bridge from obscuring the view of the

or the

. The bridge was built by the engineers Jean Résal and . It was inaugurated in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle (''universal exhibition'') World's Fair, as were the nearby Grand Palais and

Petit Palais The Petit Palais (; en, Small Palace) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

Sculptures

Nymphes de la Neva sur le Pont Alexandre III

Numerous sculptors provided the

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

s that feature prominently on the bridge.

''Fames''

Four gilt-bronze statues of ''Fames'' watch over the bridge, supported on massive

masonry Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

socles, that provide stabilizing counterweight for the arch, without interfering with monumental views. The socles are crowned by Fames restraining Pegasus. :*On the

Right Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terrai ...

: ''Renommée des Sciences'' ("Fame of the Sciences") and the ''Renommée des Arts'' ("Fame of the Arts"), both by

Emmanuel Frémiet Emmanuel Frémiet (6 December 182410 September 1910) was a French sculptor. He is famous for his 1874 sculpture of Joan of Arc in Paris (and its "sister" statues in Philadelphia and Portland, Oregon) and the monument to Ferdinand de Lesseps in S ...

. At their bases, ''La France Contemporaine'' ("Contemporary France") by Gustave Michel and ''France de Charlemagne'' ("France of Charlemagne") by . The lions groups are by Georges Gardet. :*On the

Left Bank In geography, a bank is the land alongside a body of water. Different structures are referred to as ''banks'' in different fields of geography, as follows. In limnology (the study of inland waters), a stream bank or river bank is the terra ...

: ''Renommée du Commerce'' ("Fame of Commerce") by and ''Renommée de l'Industrie'' ("Fame of Industry") by . At their bases, ''France de la Renaissance'' ("France of the Renaissance") by

Jules Coutan Jules-Félix Coutan (22 September 1848 – 23 February 1939) was a French sculptor and educator. Life As a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, Coutan was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1872; after his return to Paris he executed the f ...

and ''La France de

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

'' ("France of Louis XIV") by

Laurent Marqueste Laurent-Honoré Marqueste (Toulouse 12 June 1848 — Paris, 5 April 1920) was a French sculptor in the neo-Baroque Beaux-Arts tradition. He was a pupil of François Jouffroy and of Alexandre Falguière. Marqueste won the Prix de Rome in 1871. ...

. The lions groups are by

Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was raised ...

''Nymphs''

The

reliefs are at the centres of the arches over the Seine, memorials to the Franco-Russian Alliance. The ''Nymphs of the Seine'' has a relief of the arms of Paris, and faces the ''Nymphs of the Neva'' with the arms of Imperial Russia. They are both executed in hammered copper over forms by Georges Récipon. In the same political spirit, the Trinity Bridge in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

was conceived as a memorial to the Franco-Russian Alliance. It was designed by

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

, and the first stone was laid in August 1897 by French president

Félix Faure Félix François Faure (; 30 January 1841 – 16 February 1899) was the President of France from 1895 until his death in 1899. A native of Paris, he worked as a tanner in his younger years. Faure became a member of the Chamber of Deputies for ...

Cultural associations

; Films and videos * In the 1956 film ''

Anastasia Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...

''. *

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...

' first music video footage for the song “ Nights in White Satin” was shot two times with two scenes throughout the middle and the ending of the song in 1967. * In the 1979 film ''

French Postcards French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

'', the final romantic scene takes place on the bridge. * In the 1985

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film ''

A View to a Kill ''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted ...

'', Bond comes to a halt at the bridge in a hijacked taxi. Moments later, Bond jumps from the bridge onto a boat. * In the 1997 animated film ''

'', the bridge is damaged by

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...

in an attempt to kill

, who in real life was the granddaughter of

Alexander III of Russia Alexander III ( rus, Алекса́ндр III Алекса́ндрович, r=Aleksandr III Aleksandrovich; 10 March 18451 November 1894) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland from 13 March 1881 until his death in 18 ...

. Ironically, his downfall and ultimate death take place on the same bridge. * In the 1998 film '' Ronin'', the spy team meets some arms dealers under the bridge on the

. * In the 2004 film ''

A Very Long Engagement ''A Very Long Engagement'' (french: Un long dimanche de fiançailles, italic=yes, "A long Sunday of engagement") is a 2004 French-American romantic war drama film, co-written and directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou, Gaspard ...

'', Marion Cotillard's character kills the character played by François Levantal under the bridge. * In the 2005 film '' Angel-A'' it is the Pont Alexandre III from which Angela and André jump into the Seine. *In the 2006 music video for Mariah Carey's hit single "Say Somethin'" with Pharrell and Snoop Dogg. * In the 2006 episode "

Cold Stones "Cold Stones" is the 76th episode of the HBO original series ''The Sopranos'' and the 11th of the show's sixth season. Written by Diane Frolov, Andrew Schneider, and David Chase, and directed by Tim Van Patten, it originally aired on May 21, 2006 ...

" of ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'', Carmela Soprano and her friend Rosalie Aprile walk in wonderment over the bridge. * In the 2011 film ''

Midnight in Paris ''Midnight in Paris'' is a 2011 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Paris, the film follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a screenwriter, who is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his materialis ...

'', the bridge is depicted in multiple scenes, including the final one. * Adele's music video for the song " Someone Like You" was shot on the bridge in 2011. * In the 2016 film ''

Me Before You ''Me Before You'' is a romance novel written by Jojo Moyes. The book was first published on 5 January 2012 in the United Kingdom. A sequel titled ''After You'' was released on 24 September 2015 through Pamela Dorman Books. A second sequel, ''St ...

'', the closing shot was filmed near the northeast corner of the bridge. * In the 2016 Bollywood film '' Befikre'', the song "Nashe si Chadh Gayi" was shot on the river bank by the bridge. * The 2018 film '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' features a sequence with the main character, Newt Scamander, capturing an escaped magical creature known as a Zouwu on the bridge. * In the 2020 Netflix Original TV series ''

Emily in Paris ''Emily in Paris'' is an American romantic comedy television series created by Darren Star for Netflix. Set in Paris, the series stars Lily Collins as aspiring marketing executive Emily Cooper, an American who moves to France to provide an Amer ...

'', Savoir, the French marketing firm where Emily works, films a perfume advertisement here with their client, Maison Lavaux. * Jung Jaehyun ( NCT) was shooting a music video for his

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the 2017 song "

I Like Me Better "I Like Me Better" is a song recorded and produced by American singer Lauv. It was released on May 19, 2017, and is included on Lauv's compilation album '' I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist)'', which was released on May 31, 2018. The song was ...

" by

Lauv Ari Staprans Leff (born August 8, 1994), known professionally as Lauv (), is an American singer and musician, best known for his breakout hit "I Like Me Better"; included on his compilation album ''I Met You When I Was 18 (The Playlist)'', whi ...

Musicals

* In the 2017 Broadway musical ''

'', based on the 1997 film, the bridge is seen in the second half of the musical and in the closing scene. Anastasia was the granddaughter of Alexander III, who is mentioned in the musical.

Sports

In June 2017, with Paris competing against Los Angeles to host the

2024 Olympics ) , nations = TBA , athletes = 10,500 ''(quota limit)'' , events = 329 in 32 sports (48 disciplines) , opening = 26 July 2024 , closing = 11 August 2024 , opened_by = , stadium = Stade de France Jardins du Trocadéro and River Seine , summe ...

, Paris turned some of its world-famous landmarks over to sports and installed diving boards on the Alexandre III bridge that spanned the Seine.

Gallery

Olympic Days Paris June 2017 - Diving Platform Pont Alexandre-III 04

References

External links

*
Pont Alexandre III

current photographs and of the 1900s. {{Coord, 48, 51, 49, N, 2, 18, 49, E, type:landmark_region:FR_scale:1000, display=title Alexandre III Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris

Alexandre Alexandre may refer to: * Alexandre (given name) * Alexandre (surname) * Alexandre (film) See also * Alexander * Xano (disambiguation) Xano is the name of: * Xano, a Portuguese hypocoristic of the name "Alexandre (disambiguation) Alexandre may re ...

Exposition Universelle (1900) Monuments historiques of Paris Art Nouveau architecture in Paris Beaux-Arts architecture in France Historicist architecture in France World's fair architecture in Paris

Buildings and structures in the 7th arrondissement of Paris 1900 establishments in France