What is the Pont Saint-Bénézet?
Q: What is the Pont Saint-Bénézet?
A: The Pont Saint-Bénézet is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, France.
Q: When was it built?
A: A wooden bridge was built between 1177 and 1185, and then rebuilt with 22 stone arches in 1234.
Q: How long was the bridge?
A: The stone bridge was about 900 meters (980 yards) long.
Q: How wide was it?
A: It was only 4.9 meters (16 feet 1 inch) wide, including the parapets at the sides.
Q: Why did it become abandoned?
A: The arches collapsed each time the Rhône river flooded, making it very expensive to maintain and repair.
Q: What still exists from the original structure?
A: Four arches and the gatehouse at the Avignon end of the bridge still exist, as well as a Chapel of Saint Nicholas on one of its piers, and a western terminus called Tour Philippe-le-Bel.
Q: What recognition has been given to this landmark?
A: In 1995, UNESCO classified its arches together with other nearby landmarks such as Palais des Papes and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms as a World Heritage Site.
