Could an institution built for bridges be anything less than a bridge itself? Here, standing before the grand École des Ponts ParisTech, you’re witnessing a tangible link between past, present, and future. Founded in 1747, École des Ponts ParisTech, often simply called “Ponts”, wasn’t always a multidisciplinary institution. It began with a royal decree, a response to the growing need for a skilled corps of engineers to build France’s infrastructure. Imagine young men, some barely out of their teens, gathered here, not in lavish halls, but on construction sites, learning the art of bridge building through practical experience, their textbooks, the tools of their trade. Their mission? To tame the wild rivers, to carve paths through mountains, to connect a nation with roads and bridges. Their legacy? An institution that has evolved with time, embracing not just civil engineering but a tapestry of disciplines from computer science to economics. École des Ponts ParisTech stands as a testament to France’s enduring spirit of innovation, a bridge between its illustrious past and a future brimming with possibilities.
Église Notre-Dame de l’Air
Beneath what appears to be a simple stone and wood structure lies a history interwoven with faith aviation and community.