Pont sur Laye
Encyclopedia
The Pont sur la Laye or Pont roman de Mane (Romanesque Bridge of Mane) is an old stone arch bridge
across the stream Laye in the French
Provence
close to the town Mane
.
with a span to rise ratio of up to ca. 3:1. Its spans are 2.80 m, 7.90 m and 11.40; the thickness of the two larger arch ribs is between one and two Roman feet
, making the structure one of the few Roman bridge
s whose ratio for rib thickness to span is lower than the commonly applied ancient
standard of 1:20.
The bridge was built of local limestone
whose shape varies according to its function: the arches consist of voussoir
s, the spandrel
walls of irregular stonework. The main pier is protected both upstream and downstream by large triangular cutwaters out of rectangular blocks of stone. The paved roadway rises sharply from the left bank to the main arch, and then drops in a gentler gradient to the higher bank on the other side. The parapet, which has been reported as partly removed by O’Connor in 1993, has been apparently repaired in the meantime.
bridge builder Gazzola, the Pont sur la Laye dates from the end of the 1st or beginning of the 2nd century AD, thus belonging to a round dozen known Roman segmental arch bridges. Structurae
, though, ascribes an early Romanesque
origin to the structure (11th c.). Following the Mane homepage, the two side arches, along with their breakwaters, were added as late as the 17th century, which means that the segmental arches are of a relatively late date.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
across the stream Laye in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
close to the town Mane
Mane, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Mane is a commune in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.It lies near Forcalquier. It was the birthplace of Louis Feuillée. A Minim convent was situated here. The ancient Pont sur Laye is close by the town....
.
Construction
The 40 m long and 3.2 m wide bridge features three segmental archesArch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
with a span to rise ratio of up to ca. 3:1. Its spans are 2.80 m, 7.90 m and 11.40; the thickness of the two larger arch ribs is between one and two Roman feet
Ancient Roman units of measurement
The ancient Roman units of measurement were built on the Hellenic system with Egyptian, Hebrew, and Mesopotamian influences. The Roman units were comparatively consistent and well documented.-Length:Notes...
, making the structure one of the few Roman bridge
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
s whose ratio for rib thickness to span is lower than the commonly applied ancient
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
standard of 1:20.
The bridge was built of local limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
whose shape varies according to its function: the arches consist of voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s, the spandrel
Spandrel
A spandrel, less often spandril or splaundrel, is the space between two arches or between an arch and a rectangular enclosure....
walls of irregular stonework. The main pier is protected both upstream and downstream by large triangular cutwaters out of rectangular blocks of stone. The paved roadway rises sharply from the left bank to the main arch, and then drops in a gentler gradient to the higher bank on the other side. The parapet, which has been reported as partly removed by O’Connor in 1993, has been apparently repaired in the meantime.
Dating
According to the ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
bridge builder Gazzola, the Pont sur la Laye dates from the end of the 1st or beginning of the 2nd century AD, thus belonging to a round dozen known Roman segmental arch bridges. Structurae
Structurae
Structurae is an online database containing works of structural and civil engineering of all kinds such as bridges, high-rise buildings, towers, dams, etc. Additionally, the database contains information on companies and persons involved in the design or construction of the structures...
, though, ascribes an early Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
origin to the structure (11th c.). Following the Mane homepage, the two side arches, along with their breakwaters, were added as late as the 17th century, which means that the segmental arches are of a relatively late date.
See also
- List of Roman bridges
- Roman architectureRoman architectureAncient Roman architecture adopted certain aspects of Ancient Greek architecture, creating a new architectural style. The Romans were indebted to their Etruscan neighbors and forefathers who supplied them with a wealth of knowledge essential for future architectural solutions, such as hydraulics...
- Roman engineeringRoman engineeringRomans are famous for their advanced engineering accomplishments, although some of their own inventions were improvements on older ideas, concepts and inventions. Technology for bringing running water into cities was developed in the east, but transformed by the Romans into a technology...
- Romanesque architectureRomanesque architectureRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
- List of medieval bridges in France
External links
- Traianus – Technical investigation of Roman public works