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20-518: Pont Saint-Michel is a bridge linking the Place Saint-Michel on the left bank of the river Seine to the Île de la Cité . It was named after the nearby chapel of Saint-Michel. It is near Sainte Chapelle and the Palais de Justice . The present 62-metre-long bridge dates to 1857. First constructed in 1378, it has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1857. The construction of

40-569: A stone bridge was decided upon in 1378 by the Parlement of Paris after an accord with the chapter of the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris , the provost of Paris , and the city's merchants. A location downstream of Petit-Pont was chosen, on the line of Rue Saint-Denis , from the Grand-Pont on the right bank and of Rue de la Harpe on the left bank . This allowed for a direct route across Île de la Cité . The provost, Hugues Aubriot ,

60-419: A suitable bridgehead for the new, wider Pont Saint-Michel. The square's location permits a view of some of the monuments of the Île de la Cité , including Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais de Justice . The Fontaine Saint-Michel (Saint Michael Fountain) was erected in 1860 on a design by Gabriel Davioud . Nine major sculptors participated. At one point during the design process, the fountain's central statue

80-419: A suitable bridgehead for the new, wider Pont Saint-Michel. The square's location permits a view of some of the monuments of the Île de la Cité , including Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais de Justice . The Fontaine Saint-Michel (Saint Michael Fountain) was erected in 1860 on a design by Gabriel Davioud . Nine major sculptors participated. At one point during the design process, the fountain's central statue

100-784: Is formed by the convergence of four streets: two quais along the Seine, the Quai Saint-Michel and the Quai des Grands-Augustins, and the Boulevard Saint-Michel and the Rue Danton, which arrive at angles. As one proceeds southward along the Rue Danton, addresses on either side of the street are 'Place Saint-Michel' addresses. This continues until one approaches the Rue Saint-André des Arts, which enters from

120-416: Is formed by the convergence of four streets: two quais along the Seine, the Quai Saint-Michel and the Quai des Grands-Augustins, and the Boulevard Saint-Michel and the Rue Danton, which arrive at angles. As one proceeds southward along the Rue Danton, addresses on either side of the street are 'Place Saint-Michel' addresses. This continues until one approaches the Rue Saint-André des Arts, which enters from

140-605: Is on line 4 of the Paris Métro , whilst Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame is on line B and line C of the Paris Réseau Express Régional (RER). This article about a French building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Place Saint-Michel The Place Saint-Michel is a public square in the Latin Quarter of Paris . It lies on the borderline between

160-552: Is on line 4 of the Paris Métro , whilst Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame is on line B and line C of the Paris Réseau Express Régional (RER). Place Saint-Michel The northern end of the Place Saint-Michel, the end closer to the river, is on the left-bank side of the Pont Saint-Michel , which crosses sixty-two metres of water to reach the island, Île de la Cité. At this point, the Place Saint-Michel

180-509: The Pont des Boucheries . These foundations used wooden piles topped by a wooden platform over which the specifications required lower stone courses of 5 feet (1.5 m) to 6 feet (1.8 m) long by 3 feet (0.91 m) to 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. Built with four spans in the form of circular arcs, the roadway sloped up to the center of the bridge with a grade of over 6%. The two larger spans were approximately 46 feet (14 m) long, while

200-406: The fifth and sixth arrondissements , on the left bank of the river Seine . It faces the Île de la Cité , to which it is linked by the Pont Saint-Michel . The northern end of the Place Saint-Michel, the end closer to the river, is on the left-bank side of the Pont Saint-Michel , which crosses sixty-two metres of water to reach the island, Île de la Cité. At this point, the Place Saint-Michel

220-516: The Parlement of Paris decided in 1444 to allocate all money raised from fines to building a new stone bridge on the site. The appearance of this second bridge is known from one miniature painting in the Hours of Étienne Chevalier , painted by Jean Fouquet . This shows a bridge resting on high wooden piers, as well as wattle-and-daub or wood-and- plaster houses with a single level roofline along

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240-535: The bridge's sides were quickly filled with houses. During the 1407–1408 winter, one of the longest and most severe known in the Middle Ages, ice carried by the frozen Seine hit the bridge, causing it to collapse, together with its houses. Due to France's difficulties in the Hundred Years' War , the bridge was immediately rebuilt in wood. This material proved less resistant than the previous stone bridge and

260-434: The right, when the addresses become 'Place Saint-André des Arts' addresses. Only south of this square is the name 'Rue Danton' applied. So, one may suppose that the southern end of the Place Saint-Michel is on the street that becomes the Rue Danton, about sixty metres north of the intersection with the Rue Saint-André des Arts. The Place Saint-Michel was enlarged, as part of Baron Haussmann 's restructuring of Paris , to form

280-434: The right, when the addresses become 'Place Saint-André des Arts' addresses. Only south of this square is the name 'Rue Danton' applied. So, one may suppose that the southern end of the Place Saint-Michel is on the street that becomes the Rue Danton, about sixty metres north of the intersection with the Rue Saint-André des Arts. The Place Saint-Michel was enlarged, as part of Baron Haussmann 's restructuring of Paris , to form

300-411: The two shorter spans, on either side, were approximately 33 feet (10 m) long. The widest of the old Paris bridges, it was designed to hold two rows of houses. An order was issued in 1786 to remove all houses from Paris bridges, but the ones on this bridge remained until 1808. The present 62-metre-long bridge dates to 1857, requiring only seven months for construction, from the date the older bridge

320-649: The whole length of the bridge. A replacement bridge was built at the same time the Pont Marie was under construction. Owned by the king, it was more substantial than the Pont Marie and never ran into the kind of structural troubles both the Pont Marie and the Pont Neuf encountered. The work started in 1617 and was completed in 1623, using foundations similar to the ones used in the Rialto Bridge and

340-469: Was charged with overseeing the project, which was funded by the king. Construction lasted from 1379 to 1387. Once complete, the Parisians named the bridge Pont-Neuf (New Bridge, but it should not be confused with the present-day Pont-Neuf ), Petit-Pont-Neuf (Little New Bridge) or Pont Saint-Michel dit le Pont-Neuf (St. Michael's Bridge, known as the 'New' Bridge). As was common in the Middle Ages,

360-533: Was closed to traffic, and was designed on three 17.2m arches by Paul-Martin Gallocher de Lagalisserie and Paul Vaudrey . It was the site of many of the killings of protesters by the police, in the Paris massacre of 1961 , and a commemoration plaque on the bridge was unveiled by the mayor of Paris in 2001. The entrances to two underground stations are located next to the bridge in Place Saint-Michel . Saint-Michel

380-481: Was supposed to depict Napoleon Bonaparte , but that came under criticism from opponents of Napoleon III ; it was finally decided that the statue would be an image of Saint Michael the Archangel, with two dragons that spout water into the fountain and figures of the four classical cardinal virtues . The Place Saint-Michel has entrances to two underground stations, which are linked below street level. Saint-Michel

400-424: Was supposed to depict Napoleon Bonaparte , but that came under criticism from opponents of Napoleon III ; it was finally decided that the statue would be an image of Saint Michael the Archangel, with two dragons that spout water into the fountain and figures of the four classical cardinal virtues . The Place Saint-Michel has entrances to two underground stations, which are linked below street level. Saint-Michel

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