It's impossible to pass by the Pont de l'Alma without thinking of the tragic accident that claimed the life of Princess Diana in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel between the bridge and Place de l'Alma in 1997. It is on this square that stands the replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty, donated by the American newspaper Herald Tribune in 1897 to commemorate Franco-American friendship. And it is to this monument that admirers of the princess come to pay their respects every day.
But let's look back at the history of this infamous bridge. The Pont de l'Alma should have been inaugurated at the1855 Exposition Universelle, but as the bridge was not completed on schedule, it was inaugurated a year later, in 1856, by Napoleon III. With the construction of the bridge, he wanted to celebrate the Crimean campaign of 1854. To celebrate this victory, the bridge was adorned with four large statues of soldiers placed on its pillars: the chasseur à pied, the grenadier, the artilleryman and the zouave.
Of these four statues, only the Zouave remains today, the other three having moved to other parts of France after the bridge was replaced in the 1970s following the collapse of the first bridge. For the record, the Zouave statue has always been used by Parisians to gauge the rise of the Seine during major floods. During the 1910 flood, for example, the water level reached the Zouave's shoulders!
Today's Pont de l'Alma, 142 meters long, is made of steel and offers a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower. You've been warned that there are some great photos to be taken in this area!
