PONT NEUF

oldest existing bridge across the Seine River via the le de la Cit in Paris, built, with interruptions in the work, from 1578 to 1607. It was designed by Baptiste Du Cerceau and Pierre des Illes, who may have made use of an earlier design by Guillaume Marchand. For centuries the Pont Neuf, filled with shops and traffic, was the centre of Paris life. Its "long arm" consisted of seven arches from the right bank of the Seine to the western end of the le de la Cit; its "short arm" comprised five arches from the island to the left bank. The bridge's foundations were completely rebuilt under Napoleon III, together with the arches of the long arm, which were made elliptical. At the same time, the shops were removed from the roadway.