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| Pont Neuf |
Location: Corner of Pont Neuf and Quai du Louvre
English translation"On May 31, 1578, Henri III laid the first stone of the Pont-Neuf. Interrupted by civil war, work resumed in 1599 and was completed on July 8, 1606. Designed by Baptiste Androuet du Cerceau and Pierre des Illes, it is the largest bridge in Paris, measuring 278 meters in length for its twelve arches; it is also the first not to carry houses. In 1608, on the second arch from the right bank, a pump was built to supply water to the Lourve and the Tuileries. A bronze bas-relief depicting Christ and the Samaritan woman was added to its façade, but it was destroyed in 1813. In 1635, Louis XIII had an equestrian statue of his father erected opposite the Place Dauphine, with a new statue of Henry IV by Lemot. In a city where public thoroughfares were narrow and open spaces scarce, this wide bridge was a godsend for the jugglers and charlatans who set up shop there as soon as it opened. The first was Tabarin, whose troupe performed open-air farces, followed by jesters of all kinds, vendors of orvietan balm, tooth pullers and other itinerant traders." (Translated with DeepL)
Background notes
- Henri III (ruled France from 1574 to 1589) was the father of Henry IV (ruled France from 1589 to 1610), who was the father of Louis XIII (ruled France from 1610 to 1643).
- The Pont Neuf was a “new” bridge (new = neuf in French) built to alleviate traffic congestion on existing bridges and to improve connectivity across the Seine. It was the first bridge to entirely span the Seine River, connecting both the Left and Right banks through the Île de la Cité. It is now the oldest bridge in Paris.
- The Pont Neuf was also notable because it was designed without buildings, making it the first bridge in the city with open space on it (including sidewalks). This made it both more functional, allowing for better views and more airflow, and also a more elegant and modern structure compared to older, more cluttered bridges.
- The bas-relief sculpture on the pump house, which was destroyed with the pump in 1813, depicted Christ and the Samaritan Woman, a famous biblical scene. The Samaritan Woman is a figure from a well-known story in the Bible, found in the Gospel of John (Chapter 4). In the story, Jesus meets a woman from Samaria at a well, and they engage in a conversation about water, faith, and eternal life. The image of Christ and the Samaritan Woman in the bas-relief represents a moment of kindness and spiritual teaching. (Also see plaque #6 on Place de l'École).
- Jean-Baptiste Lemot who designed the new statue of Henry IV was a French sculptor known for his work during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
- In historical settings, charlatans were often associated with quack medicine or fraudulent practices. On the Pont Neuf, these individuals were typically street performers or vendors who took advantage of the public space to sell dubious remedies, services, or goods.
- Tabarin (real name: Jean Tabarin) was a famous 17th-century French actor and performer known for his comical plays and street theater. His troupe performed on the Pont Neuf, making it a popular place for entertainment. He is often regarded as one of the earliest street performers in Paris.
- Orvietan balm was a medicinal concoction popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was a type of tonic or cure-all, believed to treat a variety of ailments. It became widely known in Europe, especially in France, thanks to its promotion by traveling salesmen.
- Tooth pullers were itinerant individuals who offered to extract teeth, often in a rudimentary and sometimes painful manner. In a time before modern dentistry, tooth pullers were considered a necessity, even if their methods were far from refined.