Consider the verdant bowers that once graced these banks. They lend their name to what we know today as Pont de la Feuillée. This bridge has a story etched in stone and steel. It connects the 5th arrondissement to the 1st. Pont de la Feuillée links the Quai de Bondy on the right bank to the Quai de la Pêcherie and Quai Saint-Vincent on the left.
The original Pont de la Feuillée opened to the public in 1831. It was a modest 7 meters wide. A central span of about 67 meters rested on two piles. These piles stood near the riverbanks. The Saône’s floods of 1840 damaged the bridge. It reopened in 1841 after repairs.
By 1887, concerns arose about its condition. Demolition didn’t occur until 1910. Two years later, a new metallic structure emerged. It featured stone pillars from Porcieu-Amblagnieu. This bridge met its end during the Second World War. German forces destroyed it in 1944.
Engineer Mogaray led the reconstruction in 1949. He designed a wider bridge. It had double cantilevers embedded in the riverbanks. These were covered with dressed stones.
Interestingly, elements from an earlier bridge survived. The cast-iron vases and lions from the suspension bridge were saved. They were first moved to the Saint-Clair water plant for decoration. Over time, the lions were dispersed. One lion was gifted to Montreal. It now resides in the botanical garden. There, it is known as the Lion de la Feuillée. Another found its home in Caluire-et-Cuire. It stands in Place Christophe-Colomb. Two other lions were moved to the entrance of the Stade de Gerland. Ouagadougou received a fiberglass lion as a gift.
Look closely. The Pont de la Feuillée stands as a testament to Lyon’s resilience. It has been rebuilt and reimagined. This bridge carries not only traffic but also echoes of the past. It is a story of nature, destruction and rebirth. The Pont de la Feuillée endures as a vital part of Lyon.