“Friends, not armies, are a nation’s surest defense.” These words are inscribed on the base of a special statue. That statue stands near the Pont de la Liberté. This bridge has a story linked to friendship and freedom. Let’s delve into the history of the Pont de la Liberté.
The Pont de la Liberté that you see today wasn’t the first to stand here. The original bridge was built of wood. It was constructed from 1825 to 1827. Sadly, it wasn’t very sturdy. The bridge started to fall apart. In 1874, a new bridge replaced it. This one was made of cast iron. Engineers Vaudrey and Pesson designed it.
The current Pont de la Liberté was built between 1966 and 1968. Engineers Thenault, Grattesat, and Pilon designed it. Architects Chauvel, Creuzot, and Jabouille also worked on the project. This bridge is 220 meters long and 30 meters wide. It has two main sections of 85 meters each. A smaller section of 20 meters sits on the Île aux Cygnes.
The Pont de la Liberté connects the Quai André Citroën and the Quai de Grenelle. These are on the left bank of the Seine. It extends to the Maison de la Radio, the home of Radio France, on the right bank. The bridge crosses the southern tip of the Île aux Cygnes. Here, you’ll find a replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Speaking of the Statue of Liberty, Auguste Bartholdi created it. This bronze statue stands 9 meters tall. It was inaugurated in 1889 by President Sadi Carnot. This marked the anniversary of American independence. Bartholdi wasn’t happy with its original direction. It faced Paris instead of the sea and the United States. Only in 1937 was the statue turned. This happened during the International Exposition of Arts and Techniques.
This statue is a smaller version of the one in New York. It’s about one-quarter the size. The American community in Paris gave it to the city in 1885. The original model was 2.9 meters tall. It was shown at the Universal Exposition of 1900. For over 100 years, it stood in the Jardin du Luxembourg. In 2012, it was moved to the Musée d’Orsay. The statue was restored in 1990. It now has a bronze-colored finish.
The Pont de la Liberté, like the Pont Rouelle and Pont Bir-Hakeim, crosses the Île aux Cygnes. It sits downstream from the Pont Rouelle. It is upstream from the Pont Mirabeau. The bridge was renamed Pont de Grenelle-Cadets-de-Saumur. This honors the reserve officer cadets who defended the Loire bridges in 1940.
The Pont de la Liberté has appeared in films. Charlie Chaplin’s “Monsieur Verdoux” features the second bridge. Jean-Luc Godard’s “Pierrot le Fou” also shows it. Roman Polanski’s “Frantic” includes a scene on the third bridge.
So, as you stand on the Pont de la Liberté, remember its layers of history. Think about the bridges that came before. Consider the friendship between France and the United States symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. It’s a place where art, history, and international relations meet.