The Bridge at Avignon, France: "Sur le pont d' Avignon"
The village of Avignon, France was purchased by the Catholic Church and for a time was the home of the Catholic Church. Nine Popes ruled from Avignon until the home of the church was moved back to Rome. But the most famous thing about Avingon is the Bridge of Avignon, a folk song and children's song, Here's the chorus:
Sur le pont d' Avignon:
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse, l'on y danse
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse tous en rond.
On the bridge of Avignon
We all dance there, we all dance there
On the bridge of Avignon
We all dance there in a ring.
This song goes back to the 12th century when the bridge was built by Saint Benezet. He was a shepherd who was working with his flock in France when he was told by a Voice to build a bridge over the river Rhone. Benezet was a small man, but when he picked up a huge rock and carried it to the river to start building the bridge, the villagers there decided he might be having divine help, and so they chose to help him, according to legend. It took only 8 years to build the bridge which was 920 meters long and 4 meters wide with 22 piers. It was completed in 1185. In 1226, King Louis VIII laid siege and took over the village, and then destroyed 3/4 of the bridge. During the time the bridge was up, it was the only bridge between Lyon and the Mediterranean and helped draw business to build the city. There had been a former Roman bridge at Arles, but it had been destroyed. We toured the Papal Palace and the walled city. Then even though it was raining, we paid to go into the museum and walk out onto the bridge as it is so famous. My wife softly sang the song, "Sur le pont d' Avignon" as we walked out on the bridge. For hours afterward, I found myself humming the song as it is sticks in your head. (Oh, great, here it comes again, just thinking about it. Sing it to yourself and see what happens!)
By the way, we climbed a spiral staircase in the tower in the foreground, then walked across a narrow walkway and climbed up on the fortified city wall to take this picture.
The Bridge at Avignon, France: "Sur le pont d' Avignon"
The village of Avignon, France was purchased by the Catholic Church and for a time was the home of the Catholic Church. Nine Popes ruled from Avignon until the home of the church was moved back to Rome. But the most famous thing about Avingon is the Bridge of Avignon, a folk song and children's song, Here's the chorus:
Sur le pont d' Avignon:
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse, l'on y danse
Sur le pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse tous en rond.
On the bridge of Avignon
We all dance there, we all dance there
On the bridge of Avignon
We all dance there in a ring.
This song goes back to the 12th century when the bridge was built by Saint Benezet. He was a shepherd who was working with his flock in France when he was told by a Voice to build a bridge over the river Rhone. Benezet was a small man, but when he picked up a huge rock and carried it to the river to start building the bridge, the villagers there decided he might be having divine help, and so they chose to help him, according to legend. It took only 8 years to build the bridge which was 920 meters long and 4 meters wide with 22 piers. It was completed in 1185. In 1226, King Louis VIII laid siege and took over the village, and then destroyed 3/4 of the bridge. During the time the bridge was up, it was the only bridge between Lyon and the Mediterranean and helped draw business to build the city. There had been a former Roman bridge at Arles, but it had been destroyed. We toured the Papal Palace and the walled city. Then even though it was raining, we paid to go into the museum and walk out onto the bridge as it is so famous. My wife softly sang the song, "Sur le pont d' Avignon" as we walked out on the bridge. For hours afterward, I found myself humming the song as it is sticks in your head. (Oh, great, here it comes again, just thinking about it. Sing it to yourself and see what happens!)
By the way, we climbed a spiral staircase in the tower in the foreground, then walked across a narrow walkway and climbed up on the fortified city wall to take this picture.