Verdun Bridge

Cross the oldest bridge in Angers, rebuilt in the 19th century, which was once lined with shops and houses. As the oldest crossing from one bank of the Maine River to the other, its Gallic origins remain uncertain, but its existence is documented as early as the 6th century. In 1028, Foulque Nerra had it rebuilt in stone and named it the “Grand Pont.” Houses, mills, and shops gradually sprang up along it. A “Petit Pont” (Small Bridge) once connected the Île des Carmes to La Doutre before the canal was filled in in 1867. In the 19th century, the bridge was rebuilt without any dwellings and took the name “Pont de Verdun,” in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Beaurepaire, who died in 1792 in Verdun, long before the great battle of 1916.