The Pont-vieux
Built in the middle of the 11th century, the Pont-vieux (old bridge), 150 metres long, contributed to the urban and commercial development of the town.
In the Middle Ages it included a fortified gate, a chapel and a drawbridge.
From the 14th through to the 18th century there were houses built upon the pillars but these were destroyed when the Tarn burst its banks in 1766. In 1820 the carriageway was redressed and enlarged. The bridge was then given a new brick façade.
Witness to eight centuries of history the bridge was one of the determining factors in the town’s prosperity. After the automobile revolution this bridge once again became central to urban life with a large fraction of the town’s traffic passing over it each day.
