Pont Julien
Caesar's Bridge below Bonnieux
This amazing bridge near Bonnieux carried vehicular traffic for two millenia before being closed recently to all but pedestrians. It even features in Peter Mayles ‘A Year in Provence’!
What did the Romans ever do for the Luberon? (with apologies to Monty Python!)
The Pont Julien carried the Via Domitia over the Calavon river which flows through the Luberon. Absolutely precise construction meant that the blocks needed no mortar and pierced portals between the arches allowed flood water through. The continued existence of this wonderful structure testifies to the genius of the Roman engineers who built it.
Built during the time of Julius Caesar in the year 3 BCE, it served the Romans and generations of Provençaux right up to 2005 when the last car crossed over it. An expatriate Irishman living in nearby Lacoste, local celebrity Finnbar Mac Eoin, drove proudly over the magnificent structure. A plaque on the bridge declares “We do not know who was the first person to cross, but an Irishman was the last”.
Park in the adjacent car park. To obtain a good view of, and marvel at, the advanced engineering involved walk down onto the river bank.