Le Pont Saint-Benezet by Tom_Fields
The old song "sur le pont d'Avignon, on y danse, on y danse" is about this bridge. Somehow, the word "sour", which means under, was changed to "sur", or on. Legend has it that Benezet was a shepherd boy who heard a voice from Heaven that commanded him to build a bridge over the Rhone. An angel gave him the strength to lift a huge boulder and carry it to the river. There, he said, the bridge would be built. The bridge was completed in 1185.In 1226 it was mostly destroyed. Despite a reconstruction effort, it was abandoned for good in 1680. Today, only a small part of it remains. This includes a tiny chapel overlooking the river, where Benezet (who never became a real saint) is buried.