Despite its name, the Pont Neuf (New bridge) is the oldest Parisian bridge over the Seine. It connects the Louvre embankment embankment Conti, and in the middle crosses the Ile de La Cité.

In the XVI century bridges in Paris was only four, they are not enough, and the idea of building a new crossing was discussed under Henry II. Began to build under Henry III, and was opened by the Pont Neuf Henry IV in 1607.

Like most bridges of that time, the Pont Neuf was built in the Romanesque style and is a series of short arched spans. It was the first stone bridge in Paris with amazing innovations: it staged sidewalks for pedestrians, but not built houses and shops – Henry IV is specifically made sure that nothing unobstructed view of the Louvre.

In 1614 by order of Marie de Medici in the middle of the bridge, where it crosses the Sieve, has established an equestrian statue of king Henry IV, who was already dead. During the French revolution, the monument was defeated and thrown into the Seine, but later Louis XVIII instructed to cast and put a new statue, a copy of the same. She stands there still.

Of course, the merchants were very unhappy that shops not built and so much space is wasted. However, life on the bridge was still in full swing. The musicians played, acrobats jumping, fire-eaters surprised people, wandering healers removed the teeth and sold all sorts of drugs, Royal recruiters soldiers podpisala young guys in the crowd were prowling pickpockets and walking prostitutes. Paris police said that if within three days the man did not cross the Pont Neuf, so he was out of town.

In 50-ies of the XVIII century in Vogue just appeared the Grands boulevards and the Pont Neuf gradually gone out of fashion. In the mid-nineteenth century, people have said that Pont-Neuf ceased to be the eternal fair, it is now just a bridge crossing without stopping. Well, at least he was safe, and was always beautiful.

The Parisians love to the bridge failed. Pont-Neuf wrote the Impressionists, he was praised in poems and songs, about his films, he has long been not just a bridge, it is one of the symbols of Paris.