Aligned with this dome is the Pont des Arts, linking this side of the river to the Louvre. Built between 1802 and 1804 by the engineers Louis-Alexandre de Cessart and Jacques Dillon, it was the first metal bridge in Paris. Originally consisting of nine arches, it was built for pedestrians and was initially supposed to resemble a garden with trees, flowers
and benches. Badly damaged by aerial bombardment during both World Wars, the bridge was closed in 1977. A barge rammed into it in 1979, causing a 60-metre (200-foot) section to collapse. It was rebuilt between 1981 and 1984 by Louis Arretche, who reduced the number of arches to seven, which allowed it to seem like the old one, but be aligned to the nearby Pont Neuf. Sometimes used as an outdoor exhibition space, the bridge is popular with artists who never seem to tire of painting it, or painting on it. It is also a hugely popular picnic spot, especially in summer with romantic young couples visiting Paris.
Institut de France
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Continue along the river and you will come to the Musée de la Monnaie at No. 11 Quai de Conti. This building, unusual for its day, was the result of an architectural competition. When Louis XV decided to rehouse the Mint he came up with this novel idea, one that has since caught on in a big way for major international commissions. The Hôtel des Monnaies was designed by architect Jacques Antoine and was completed in 1777. (The architect lived in the building up until his death.) Coins were minted here as late as 1973, at which time the process moved to Pessac in the Gironde.
The minting and milling halls are now home to a coin and medallion museum. The museum’s interesting collection is displayed in a series of vertical glass display cases that allow both sides of the coins to be seen. The museum’s last room illustrates how a coin’s production cycle is completed and includes displays of late 19th- and early 20th-century machines and tools. While no longer a coin mint, the building still makes commemorative medallions, some of which are on sale in the shop.
Musée de la Monnaie
Opening times: 11am–5.30pm Tue–Fri, noon–5.30pm Sat and Sun
Website:
www.monnaiedeparis.frTel: 01. 40 46 56 66
St Germain des Prés
83
