Pont au Change | |
|---|---|
 Pont au Change 2014 | |
| Coordinates | 48°51′24″N2°20′48″E / 48.856658°N 2.346767°E /48.856658; 2.346767 |
| Crosses | The Seine River |
| Locale | Paris, France |
| Next upstream | Pont Notre-Dame |
| Next downstream | Pont Neuf |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Pont au Change | |
ThePont au Change (French pronunciation:[pɔ̃t‿oʃɑ̃ʒ]) is a bridge over theSeine River in Paris, France. The bridge is located at the border between thefirst andfourth arrondissements. It connects theÎle de la Cité from thePalais de Justice and theConciergerie, to theRight Bank, at thePlace du Châtelet.
Several bridges bearing the namePont au Change have stood on this site. It owes its name to the goldsmiths and money changers who had installed their shops on an earlier version of the bridge in the 12th century.[1] The current bridge was constructed from 1858 to 1860, during the reign ofNapoleon III, and bears his imperial insignia.
The Pont au Change is featured in the novelLes Misérables byVictor Hugo. PoliceInspector Javert finds himself unable to reconcile his duty to surrenderJean Valjean to the authorities with the fact that Valjean saved his life. He comes to the Pont au Change and throws himself into the Seine. It also plays a role in the novelPerfume: The Story of a Murderer byPatrick Süskind; the perfumier Baldini, who takes the protagonist Grenouille as his apprentice, owns a shop on the bridge. After Grenouille leaves him, the bridge collapses and his house and shop, with him inside, falls into theriver.“The Night Watchman of Pont-au-Change” is also the title of a poem written by the surrealist poet and holocaust victim Robert Desnos.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
48°51′23.75″N2°20′48.12″E / 48.8565972°N 2.3467000°E /48.8565972; 2.3467000
 | This article about a bridge in France is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
