Pont Julien, Bonnieux, France

The Pont Julien is a Roman stone arch bridge over the Calavon river, in the south-east of France, dating from 3 BC. The supporting columns are notable for openings to allow floodwater to pass through. It is located in the territory of the commune of Bonnieux, north of the village of the same name, and 8 km west of Apt. Originally, it was built on the Via Domitia, an important Roman road which connected Italy to the Roman territories in France. It was used for car traffic until 2005, when a replacement bridge was built to preserve it from wear and tear. It is still used as bike- and footpath. This amounts to approximately 2000 years of uninterrupted use.

User Reviews

Jerri Grunewald (9 months ago)
Beautiful, unusual bridge that comes to a slightly braised point in the middle.

Brad G (9 months ago)
Wow! Impressive place and to walk on a bridge that is over 2000 years old is very cool.

Sarah Jones (10 months ago)
Pont Julien is a well-preserved Roman bridge in Provence, built around 3 BCE as part of the Via Domitia, a major Roman road connecting Italy and Spain. The bridge's three arches showcase impressive Roman engineering. However, the river beneath it has dried up, which detracts from its scenic charm. Despite this, the bridge's historical significance and architectural beauty make it a worthwhile visit for history enthusiasts, even if the absence of water lessens its overall appeal.

Giles Morris (12 months ago)
A bridge that has been used for two millennia! (There's a new road bridge but pedestrian and bicycle traffic still uses the Roman bridge.) Well worth stopping to see this.

Steve Boothby (12 months ago)
Interesting old bridge over a dry river Cavalon bed (this was the beginning of June).

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Christian Lauw

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.

The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.

The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.

Pont Julien

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Wieskirche