Pont de Sully bridge in Paris
Even though the Pont Sully is in reality two separate bridges over the River Seine meeting at the tip of the Ile Saint Louis, it carries only the one name of the Pont Sully, and was constructed in the 1800s during the Second Empire.
A bit of history
Upstream of the Ile Saint Louis at the eastern tip of the island there were once two footbridges going over the River Seine, with one being called the Passerelle Damiette going to the right bank, and the other bridge was called the Passerelle de Constantine that went to the left bank.
These bridges were constructed in 1836, however, the Damiette was destroyed during the French Revolution in 1848, and the suspension bridge in Paris going over the smaller branch of the river collapsed only twenty years after construction.
And it was not until during the reorganisation and planning changes made by Baron Haussmann that a new bridge was constructed.
About the Pont Sully
The current bridge was constructed back in 1876 and named the Pont Sully, or Pont de Sully as it is sometimes known, and was named in honour of Maximilien de Bethune, the Duke of Sully, who was the chief minister for King Henri IV.
There are actually two separate bridges made of cast iron and these bridges in Paris were designed by the engineers Paul Emile Vaudrey and Gustave Brosselin, and the largest arm has three arches, whereas the section over the smaller branch of the River Seine has one central arch of cast iron with two masonry arches.
Yet, both are classified as the Pont Sully, as they do meet up at the tip of the Ile Saint Louis island at the Square Barye, which is dedicated to a French sculptor, yet was once home to an impressive monastery.
Visiting the Pont Sully
The North Bridge starts at Quai Henri IV on the right bank of the River Seine and ends at Quai d'Anjou on the Ile Saint Louis, while the South Bridge going over to the left bank of the river starts at Quai de Bethune on the island and comes out on the Quai Saint Bernard and the Quai de la Tournelle in the 5th Arrondissement of Paris.
You will find that the nearest Metro station to the Pont Sully is called the Sully - Morland stop via line 7 on the right bank close to the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, or the Cardinal Lemoine stop serving line 10 that is a little further away.
Of course, there are also other forms of public transport in Paris that stop close to the Pont de Sully including bus lines 24, 63, 67, 86, 87 and 89.
