The Pont Alexandre III is located on the Seine between the Pont de la Concorde and the Pont des Invalides. The bridge was named after the Russian Emperor Alexander III, who in 1891 enclosed an alliance with the President of the French Republic, Sadi Carnot.

The foundation stone of the future landmark was laid by Emperor Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, and French President Felix Faure. The bridge was designed by engineers Jean Resal and Amedee Alby, as well as architects Joseph Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin. It was built in 5 years and unveiled for the World’s Fair in Paris in 1900.

It was to become a symbol of Franco-Russian friendship. By the way, a similar bridge was unveiled in Russia for the opening of the Paris exhibition, the Trinity Bridge across the Neva in Saint Petersburg. Since the massive structure could interfere with the view of the Champs Elysees, the bridge was designed very low (the arch height is only 6 meters), 160 meters long, and 40 meters wide.

It was a real breakthrough for civil engineering of the time. There are 17-meter columns with statues symbolizing Science, Art, Industry, and Battle on either side of the bridge entrances. At their base, there are compositions embodying four ages of French history: the times of Charlemagne, the Renaissance, the epoch of Louis XIV, and the modern times. The bridge arches, on one side, are decorated with statues of the Seine nymphs and the coat of arms of France, and on the other, with the nymphs of the Neva and the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. Thus, they symbolize the union of two countries, two cities, and rivers.

So, the bridge is ascribed to the Beaux-Arts (“fine art”) style. However, even though the Pont Alexandre III was built using the latest technology, the Krasnoyarsk Railway Bridge across the Yenisey received the main award of the 1900 World’s Fair.