Pont St Benezet (St Benezet Bridge)

'Sur le pont d'Avignon on y danse, on y danse ...' - the melody of the 19th-century song still draws visitors to the famed bridge that is formally known as the Pont St Bénezet, after the shepherd whose heavenly vision and determination led to the bridge being built. Spanning the two channels of the River Rhône and the island in between ( Ile de la Barthelasse ), the bridge was built between 1177 and January 1185. Originally made of wood, it had to be continuously rebuilt, as it was the only crossing, providing a link between the Mediterranean and Lyon, an important trade hub in the Middle Ages. The river finally won the day, washing away the bridge in the mid 1600s. Today, only four of its original 22 arches and the tiny Chapelle St Nicholas remain. This delicate Romanesque chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of barge men, should not be missed. A small museum, situated beneath the ticket office, contains images of the bridge in former centuries.