Four Woven Stars

During Napoleon’s reign a nine-arch pedestrian bridge was built over the Seine – the first metal bridge in Paris. Pont des Arts (Bridge of the Arts) was initially meant to resemble a suspended garden with trees, benches and masses of flowers. It was damaged by aerial bombardments during both World Wars. While I was in high school it collapsed after being hit by a barge. The bridge was rebuilt in 1981 with seven arches instead of nine (presumably to allow barges to pass without hitting it). In 2008 tourists began attaching “love locks” to the metal railings and grates; locking them onto the structure and tossing the keys into the Seine as a token of their commitment. When the gratings filled, locks were placed on other locks. By 2012 their added weight was estimated to be 45 tons. The mayor launched a “love without locks” campaign, which was largely ignored. Two years later, amid safety concerns, the grates were replaced with Plexiglass.