Pont de l'Alma
Encyclopedia
Pont de l'Alma is an arch bridge
in Paris
, crossing the Seine
. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma
during the Crimean War
, in which the Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army on September 20, 1854.
of the bridge was decorated with a statue of military nature: a zouave
and a grenadier, by Georges Diébolt
, and a skirmisher and an artilleryman, both sculpted by Arnaud
.
For Parisians, the bridge serves as a measuring instrument for water levels and a dam in times of flooding on the Seine, due to its statue of a Zouave
soldier. Access to the footpaths by the river embankments usually is closed when the Seine's level reaches the feet of the Zouave, and when the water hits the statue's thighs, the river becomes unnavigable. During the great flood of the Seine in 1910, the level reached to the shoulders of the Zouave. The French Civil Service, however, officially uses the Pont de la Tournelle
to gauge the flood levels — not the Pont de l'Alma.
, the Grenadier to Dijon
, and the Artilleryman to La Fère
.
died in a car accident
along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul
on 31 August 1997. The Flame of Liberty
at the bridge's north end has become an unofficial memorial to Diana.
.
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...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, crossing the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
. It was named to commemorate the Battle of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, in which the Franco-British alliance achieved victory over the Russian army on September 20, 1854.
Construction
The initial construction of the bridge took place between 1854 and 1856. It was inaugurated by Napoleon III on 2 April 1856. At the time, each of the four piersPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
of the bridge was decorated with a statue of military nature: a zouave
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
and a grenadier, by Georges Diébolt
Georges Diebolt
Georges Diebolt, sometimes spelled Diébolt, was a French sculptor best known for his publicly-commissioned monumental works, including the Zouave and Grenadier on the pont de l'Alma in Paris and the Maritime Victory on the Pont des Invalides.-Life:Trained at the École nationale des Beaux-Arts in...
, and a skirmisher and an artilleryman, both sculpted by Arnaud
Auguste Arnaud
Charles Auguste Arnaud , known as Auguste Arnaud was a French sculptor.-Life:Arnaud was born at La Rochelle. A student of the École des Beaux-Arts at Angers, he first came to Paris thanks to a scholarship for his département, joining the workshop of François Rude...
.
Zouave statue and flooding
Zouave
Zouave was the title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army, normally serving in French North Africa between 1831 and 1962. The name was also adopted during the 19th century by units in other armies, especially volunteer regiments raised for service in the American Civil War...
soldier. Access to the footpaths by the river embankments usually is closed when the Seine's level reaches the feet of the Zouave, and when the water hits the statue's thighs, the river becomes unnavigable. During the great flood of the Seine in 1910, the level reached to the shoulders of the Zouave. The French Civil Service, however, officially uses the Pont de la Tournelle
Pont de la Tournelle
Pont de la Tournelle , is an arch bridge spanning the river Seine in Paris.-History:The location of the Pont de la Tournelle is the site of successive structures....
to gauge the flood levels — not the Pont de l'Alma.
Reconstruction
The bridge underwent complete reconstruction between 1970 and 1974, as it had been too narrow to accommodate the increasing traffic both on and below it; moreover, the structure had subsided some 80 centimeters over time. After the reconstruction, only the statue of the Zouave was preserved. The Skirmisher was relocated to the Gravelle Stronghold in VincennesVincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
, the Grenadier to Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, and the Artilleryman to La Fère
La Fère
La Fère is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in France.-Population:-References:*...
.
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
The bridge is close to the eponymous Pont de l'Alma tunnel where Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
died in a car accident
Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Fayed's...
along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul
Henri Paul
Henri Paul was the Deputy Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris. He was the driver at the time of the car accident at the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris that killed him along with Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed on 31 August 1997. Bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was the sole survivor of...
on 31 August 1997. The Flame of Liberty
Flame of Liberty
The Flame of Liberty in Paris is a full-sized, gold-leaf-covered, replica of the new flame at the upper end of the torch carried in the hand of the Statue of Liberty at the entrance to the harbor of New York City since 1986...
at the bridge's north end has become an unofficial memorial to Diana.
Technical specifications
Pont de l'Alma has a length of 153 meters (502 ft) and a width of 42 meters (138 ft). It was designed by Paul-Martin Gallocher de LagalisseriePaul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie
Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie was a French engineer. He was the son of Martin Pierre Gallocher de Lagalisserie and Marie Delphine Théodore Ménager.-Notable projects:...
.