Pont Valentré

Cahors

As much a military structure as a crossing, Pont Valentré was commissioned by the consuls of Cahors in 1306 to defend the town from the south during the Anglo-French wars; the first stone was laid in 1308 and the work was not completed until 1378. Its six Gothic arches and three 40 m towers make it the most complete medieval fortified bridge in France, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998 as part of the pilgrim roads to Santiago de Compostela. This exceptional slowness gave rise to the legend: exasperated, the master builder is said to have signed a pact with the Devil, who would speed up the work in exchange for his soul. With the bridge almost finished, the architect demanded one last task of his servant — fetching the workers' water using a sieve. The Devil came back empty-handed, the pact was broken, and he swore revenge: every night, he sends a little demon to pry loose the last stone of the central tower, so that every morning something is always missing at the top. During the 1879 restoration, architect Paul Gout had a carved stone set into that empty spot, showing a little demon clinging to the masonry, the work of sculptor Calmon. The Devil, it is said, recognizes one of his own at work there and moves on: the bridge no longer needs to move.

Wikipédia — Pont Valentré ↗

Getting there : On the western edge of the old town of Cahors, at the end of the Allée des Soupirs, less than a 10-minute walk from the SNCF station. Pedestrian-only since 1995, freely accessible year-round; the little devil figure can be seen by looking up at the upper corner of the central tower, on the upstream side. The coordinates mark the structure itself; the most convenient access is from the right bank.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound