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Avignon - blue hour

Avignon

Provence

France

Pont Saint-Bénezet

Palais des Papes

 

The Pont Saint-Bénezet, also known as the Pont d'Avignon , is a famous medieval bridge in the town of Avignon, in southern France. It was built between 1171 and 1185, with an original length of some 900 meters.

 

I found this bridge quite fascinating because it doesn't go all the way across the river. It had been severely damaged by many floods over the centuries and has undergone many repairs. Because of this, it became increasingly dangerous as arches collapsed and were replaced by rickety wooden sections. The catastrophic flood in 1668 was the last straw; it swept away a good part of the structure, and since then, no more attempts for repair had been made. Only four of the initial 22 arches remain intact today.

 

Shot from Île de la Barthelasse

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Uploaded on July 2, 2012
Taken on June 12, 2012