Today, when you think of Paris, an image immediately comes to mind. Eiffel TowerHowever, between the 17th century and 1889, when it was created, it wasParis A completely different symbol. It was not a magnificent cathedral, a royal palace or an impressive statue. It was just a bridge, but it was not just a bridge but a revolutionary urban product that completely changed the way Parisians perceive their city. The bridge is called Pont Neuf, and in Hebrew it means “the new bridge” (although today it is considered the oldest of Paris’ bridges). Today we will tell its story.
The history of the phone nef
The order for the construction of the bridge was given by King Henry III in 3 and he laid the cornerstone in 1577. The purpose of the bridge was to connect the right bank of the Seine with the left bank, thus relieving the load on the Notre Dame bridge and shortening the crossing time between the two banks. However, the civil war that took place in those years and the lack of funds caused the project to be frozen.
In 1598, Henry IV signed a treaty Nantes (Nantes), who finally ended the French Civil War and immediately set about rebuilding Paris, which had been devastated by decades of riots, famine, and war. The first project he chose to begin was the new bridge. After nearly twenty years of neglect, work on the bridge was restarted and completed in 1606.
Since Henry IV did not have the money to finance the bridge, he decided to impose a tax on the barrels of wine that came in from the Neuilly area, and so, according to Henri Sauval, one of the city’s historians, “the bridge was financed by the rich and the drunks.” From the moment the bridge was inaugurated, it became an instant success and a favorite spot for Parisians. So what was so revolutionary about “just a bridge” over the river?
The first bridge without buildings
The first reason was that it was the first bridge on which no residential buildings were built. Henry IV, who was very fond of perspective, wanted Parisians to be able to stand on the bridge and see the Louvre Palace which he began to expand and the Place Dauphine which he began to build.
As a result, for the first time in history, Parisians could stand on the bridge and simply look out over the water or the Parisian landscape. What we take for granted in the 17th century was a thrilling innovation. Instead of houses, the king built a series of small shops, which remained until the 19th century, where people could buy almost anything they wanted.
However, beyond the shops, the bridge became a kind of urban stage where actors and singers could perform for passersby. For example, the first stand-up comedy show in human history was created on the bridge by Henri Le Grand, whose stage name was Turlupin. Some of the comedians and singers of the bridge became so famous that books containing their works were sold all over Paris.
This is where sidewalks were invented.
The second reason the bridge became a success story is that it was the first place in Paris to have sidewalks. Until then, pedestrians in Paris had to compete with horses and carts for the same space, which resulted in quite a few tramples and ruined clothes that were stained with mud or dust.
To solve this problem, it was decided to build sidewalks in Pon Nef that looked like raised platforms that had to be climbed up by steps (during the 18th century, the platforms were lowered and the sidewalks began to look as we know them today). The impact of the sidewalks was nothing short of revolutionary because for the first time, people could walk and stroll on foot without getting trampled and ruining their clothes (something we take for granted).
As a result, many nobles, who had previously ridden horses or been carried by their servants in canopies, began to walk and “mingle” with the common people. And so, without noticing, the Place Neuf became the first fashion runway in Paris where anyone who came to the city could see the “latest fashion” in French fashion. Along with the fashion shows came the clothes thieves, called Filou, who would pull on the nobles’ coats and run away before anyone could stop them.
Peeping Toms Beach and Stand-Up Comedy in 18th Century Paris
The third innovation of the bridge was its transformation into a kind of makeshift bathing beach for the residents of Paris. This was the first time that bathing in the Seine became popular (despite the fact that it was a rather polluted river) and on hot summer days you could find quite a few Parisians taking off their clothes and jumping from the lower part of the bridge into the waters of the Seine.
Bathing in the river became more organized, as the bridge was joined by bathing boats, separate for men and women, where bathers could undress and leave their clothes before going for a swim. And here, ladies and gentlemen, was also the site of the first “peeping” beach in history, when in 1716 the Parisian police were forced to intervene when men began to peek into women’s wardrobes, some even going in naked. So which peeping toms do you prefer?
The birth of the Parisian press
And finally, the bridge's latest innovation was its transformation into a kind of early edition of the news bulletin. In the days when there was no television and journalism was just beginning to take its first steps (the first newspaper was created in 1611, about five years after the bridge's construction was completed).
The Pont Neuf became a place where the hottest news could be heard (try to imagine something similar to the paschvils of Bnei Brak and Jerusalem, which were hung near the shops or near the statue of Henry IV, which is located near the left bank of the Seine). Since a large part of the inhabitants of Paris could not read or write, people stood on the bridge, who read the news to the general public and thus helped to spread it quickly.
As a result, the bridge became a political powder keg, which often exploded with great noise. The best example of this was the Fronde rebellion, which began here in 1648 after news of the arrest of the popular member of parliament Pierre Broussel, who lived near the bridge. Within 15 minutes of the arrest, the news had spread throughout Paris thanks to von Neuf’s pamphlets, and an angry mob took to the streets and drove out the king’s soldiers.
When Brussell was released from prison, the Pont Neuf became the center of victory celebrations for the rebels, who called themselves the Pronde des Prondes (a pronde is the slingshot used by the rebels to throw stones at the king's soldiers). It is not surprising that from that moment on, the authorities did everything they could to prevent people from gathering on the bridge, but because of the central role the bridge played, no one ever carried out these orders.
As a result of all these reasons, the Pont Neuf has become one of the most beloved places in Paris and has spawned many idioms. For example, “to sing about the Pont Neuf” (chanter sur le pont neuf) means to tell the whole city about your deeds. Another example is the saying “the Pont Neuf will remain the new bridge in a thousand years” which means that something is absolutely certain. More than 400 years have passed and the saying is still true…
A few more things about the phone Nef
Want to find out what the pon neff looked like in the 18th century?
In 2014, Ubisoft released the game. Assassin's Creed Unity, which takes place entirely inParis of the French RevolutionI used this game to film the following video for you, which will show you what the bridge and its surroundings looked like in the 18th century. You are invited to watch the video and find the differences between then and now 🙂
Did you like the article? Want to find out? Other monuments in ParisYou are welcome to enterParis Traveler's Guide, which I created and find many more places where you can visit in the City of Lights.
Want to live near the Von Nef Bridge?
The Place Neuf is located right in the center of Paris. Therefore, if you live in its vicinity, you can easily reach many places on the Right Bank, the Left Bank, and theIle de la Cita.
If you want to do this you will need to look for hotels or vacation apartments in1th District (right bank of the bridge) or in6th District (left bank of the bridge). You can find them in the articles:
The restoration video is amazing!
Is neuf also the number 9? And if so, is it related?
Yes, the word Neuf is both “new” and the number 9. There is no connection between the two (in Hebrew there are also words with double meanings).