Lion a l'Enfant
Pont Alexandre III
Paris France
2011

This is one of my favourite bridges in Paris. Spanning the River Seine, Pont Alexandre III dates back to 1900 and is reminiscent of the Belle Epoque era. Nowadays the city’s most ornate bridge connects the Grand and Petit Palais to the Hôtel des Invalides. Let’s have a closer look at the bridge’s history and decorative features.

https://frenchmoments.eu/pont-alexandre-iii-paris/

Pont Alexandre III was built in the same period as the Grand and Petit Palais, in time for the 1900 World Exhibition.

Russian emperor Nicholas II himself laid the first stone on the 7th October 1896 in the presence of French President Félix Faure.

The new bridge symbolises the Franco-Russian friendship and the alliance signed between the two nations (Tsar Alexandre III and French President Sadi Carnot) in 1891.

A commemorative inscription on a column (Right Bank) reads:

“Le 14 avril 1900, Émile Loubet président de la République Française a ouvert l’exposition universelle et inauguré le pont Alexandre-III”
The 14th April 1900, French President Emile Loubet opened the World Exhibition and inaugurated the Alexandre III bridge.

In fact, the sumptuous bridge was dedicated to the Tsar’s father, Alexander III (1845-1894).
In the same political spirit, Nicholas II of Russia commissioned the Trinity Bridge in Saint-Petersburg (Russia). The French firm Société de Construction des Batignolles was completed in 1903, in time for the 200-year anniversary of Saint Petersburg.

The bridge connects the tree-lined street of Cours-la-Reine (8th arrondissement) and Quai d’Orsay (7th arrondissement). On the Right Bank, it continues Avenue Winston Churchill which gives access to the Grand and Petit Palais.

Finally, at the feet of the pillars, you’ll discover groups of lions led by children and genies with fish and shells.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_Alexandre_III

The Pont Alexandre III is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris. It connects the Champs-Élysées quarter with those of the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the city. It has been classified as a French monument historique since 1975.