Pont Alexandre III… Beautiful… at Dawn…

The two… of us…

My love… and I…

Holding… each other… tight…

Watching…

The dawn… appear…

From the… most beautiful bridge…

In… Paris…

Pont… Alexandre III…

Is an arch bridge… that spans the velvety waters of the river Seine… connecting the famous Champs-Élysées area… with the legendary “Invalides” and iconic Tour Eiffel…

It… is…

Ornate…

Extravagant…

With its Art Nouveau lamps… cherubs… nymphs…

Winged… horses…

A… historical monument…

It was built between 1896 and 1900… and named after Tsar Alexander III… who was responsible for concluding the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892.  The foundation stone was laid… by his son Nicholas II in October 1896.

Designed by the architects… Joseph Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin… who were restrained by strict controls… not to obstruct the view of the Champs-Élysées… nor “Les Invalides”…

Jean Résal and Amédée d’Alby… were the engineers who built this marvel of 19th century engineering… which was inaugurated for “l’Exposition universelle de Paris“… the “Universal Exhibition”… along with the Grand Palais and Petit Palais… which reflect the same style…

The magnificent sculptures… that are the main feature of this incredibly beautiful… romantic bridge… that watch proudly over it… were also built in a way not to interfere with the magnificent views seen from its vantage point.

There are the four gilt-bronze statues of “Fames”… supported on huge 17-meter “socles”… which are crowned by “Fames restraining Pegasus”…

“Renommée des Sciences” and the “Renommée des Arts” on the right Bank… both by the sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet…

At their bases… “La France Contemporaine” by Gustave Michel and “France de Charlemagne”… by Alfred Lenoir…

The magnificent powerful lions… are by the sculptor Georges Gardet…

On the Left Bank…

“Renommée du Commerce” by Pierre Granet and the “Renommée de l’Industrie”… by Clément Steiner…

At their bases… “France de la Renaissance” by Jules Coutan and “La France de Louis XIV“… by Laurent Marqueste.  This opposite group of lions by Jules Dalou…

“Nymphs of the Seine”  are at the very centre of the arches… where the arms of France correspond with “Nymphs of the Neva” and the arms of Imperial Russia on the other face… both executed in hammered copper… by Georges Récipon…

Nothing…

Can compare… to the early morning beauty experienced from the most beautiful bridge…

à… Paris…

We bid… the new day…

“Bonjour”…

Holding… each other tight…

We went off to the… café at the “Champs”…

Forever… in love…

For our… invigorating cup of hot “express”…

With… a smile…

A… sigh…

For the…

Exquisite beauty…

That… is…

“Le… Pont…

Alexandre III”…

a.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.