Le Pont De Avignon Bridge In The Rhone River , France Royalty-Free Stock Photo

The Pont Saint Benezet was abandoned in the mid-17th century as the arches tended to collapse each time the Rhone flooded making it very expensive to maintain. Four arches and the gatehouse at the Avignon end of the bridge have survived. The bridge was the inspiration for the song Sur le pont d`Avignon and is considered a landmark of the city. In 1995, the surviving arches of the bridge, together with the Palais des Papes and Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms were classified as a World Heritage Site.