At the Hôtel-Dieu in Toulouse, the last pier of the Pont Vieux restored
At the foot of the Hôtel-Dieu, the only remaining pier of the Pont de la Daurade, or Pont Vieux, which spanned the Garonne in Toulouse for 500 years, is being restored by the CHU.
Of the covered and fortified bridge, several times carried by the Garonne, which linked the two banks of Toulouse between the 12th and 17th centuries, only one pier remains, the one which is almost attached to the facade of the Hotel -God. It is this remnant of the Pont de la Daurade or Pont Vieux, doubly classified as the Hôtel-Dieu – a Historic Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle route – which makes the object of a restoration company by the CHU, owner of the premises, from this month of November until March.
“The bridge pier was in very poor condition. And its access was dangerous, ”underlines Anne Ferrer, deputy director general of the CHU. Because the stack is accessible via the main building of the Hôtel-Dieu where the large Italian-style glass roof of the staircase is also being restored. And ceremonies sometimes took place there.
Pale Swifts
For several days, this building has been surrounded by scaffolding which rests on floating platforms. The idea of installing cofferdams was ruled out after the inspection of the stone foundations, which were deemed to be sufficiently solid. Apart from this submerged part, many things need to be redone: the platform, the forecourt, the bricks… Archaeological excavations are planned, particularly from inside the pier. This bridge, whose construction Count Alphonse Jourdain authorized in 1141 and which opened in 1180, before being supplanted years later by the Pont Neuf in 1632, will perhaps reveal some secrets.
The launch of the site requires an important phase of preparation because the period of the works will not be extendable. It is conditioned by the presence of a colony of pale swifts, a rare species of birds that nest in the crevices of the brick wall.
Hôtel-Dieu, La Grave… the CHU watches over its old walls, especially since they shape the image of Toulouse. For this, the hospital relies on Saint Jacques Institute, the Toulouse hospital endowment fund website. Pierre-Fabre Laboratories thus contributed €470,000 to the cell renovation budget amounting to €1,170 million. But everyone can also contribute to the maintenance of this historical heritage.