En un regard
Le château en bref
The Old Bridge of Sospel (Vieux Pont de Sospel) is a fortified bridge spanning the Bévéra in the commune of Sospel (Alpes-Maritimes). A first bridge is attested as early as the 12th century, a deed of 1217 mentioning a building "in Cespello ultra pontem". It was rebuilt in 1358, at the time of works on the town walls and castle, then rebuilt in masonry in 1522 after the collapse of an arch. In 1787 the engineer Giacinto Donato rebuilt and lowered the northern arch to improve access to the bridge. The structure, 36 metres long and 5.50 metres wide, has two unequal arches (spans of 14 and 15 metres) separated by a central pier 5 metres thick, and was once topped by a central tower, visible in a print of 1682. The bridge was destroyed by the retreating German army in 1944, then rebuilt identically between 1952 and 1957, reusing some of the original stones. It has been listed as a monument historique since 1924.