Thursday, May 15, 2008

Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor


Photo courtesy of www.aviewoncities.com
The only single arch bridge spanning the Seine, this 1999 footbridge connects the Tuileries Gardens and the Musée d’Orsay. At its northern end, pedestrians can reach the Jardin des Tuileries through a subterranean passage. Its innovative design earned architect Marc Mimram the "Prix de l'Équerre d'Argent" award for 1999.
However, the Passerelle Solférino was renamed Passerelle Léopold Sédar Senghor on October 9, 2006, to mark the centenary of the birth of the first Senegalese president. Senghor, a poet, politician and cultural theorist, was the first African to sit as a member of the Académie Française.
Note: Solférino refers to the 1859 Battle of Solférino (Italy), in which Napoleon III defeated Franz-Josef’s Austrian troops.
Metro: Assemblée Nationale or Solférino

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