Bridges of Lyon, Part 2

Paul Couturier Footbridge, Lyon, France

Yesterday I posted about the Footbridge of the Palace of Justice and the Bonaparte Bridge in Lyon, France. Today, two more of my favorite bridges.

Paul Couturier Footbridge, Lyon, France

This bridge was bombed and destroyed in WWII and rebuilt to be exactly as it was before. Like the Footbridge of the Palace of Justice, it is pedestrian only, though it is not quite as elegant as that bridge. I especially like the top photo, where we stumbled on a young lady getting professional photographs of herself taken on the bridge.

University Bridge, Lyon, France

The University Bridge crosses the Rhône River, leading from Presqu'île to the University of Lyon. It too, was damaged during WWII and was temporarily replaced by a wooden bridge while repairs were made. 

University Bridge, Lyon, France

I really like the sculptures and decorated steel railings on the University Bridge. Almost as striking as the railings and sculptures on top of the bridge is the ironwork along the three arches below the bridge.

University Bridge, Lyon France

A couple of final notes about the Bridges of Lyon. I've highlighted four of the bridges, but with Lyon being a big city and with a large population looking to get across two rivers, there are a lot more bridges to see. They are not only beautiful (especially at night), but they are also functional.

Last, almost all the bridges in Lyon were destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt. My American-centric view of the world (which gets rightly readjusted on a daily basis when I travel and read), caused me to assume that the bridges were bombed by the Germans in a last gasp attempt to save the Third Reich.

But, doing research for these posts, I can't say for certainty that it is true. While information about the specific bombing that destroyed the bridges of Lyon is scarce, it is known that the Allies bombed Lyon, damaged its infrastructure and killed many civilians in 1944 leading up to the city's liberation on September 3rd.

It is also known that the Nazis destroyed vital links to cities while they retreated (roads and bridges), so it is possible that the Germans could be responsible for the destruction of Lyon's bridges.

In the end, I have read some accounts stating that Lyon's bridges were all destroyed on September 1st, 1944. This would lead me to believe that my original assumption was indeed true. As the Nazis retreated, they left Lyon's bridges in rubble. On our next visit, I'm definitely finding out.

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