Camino Photo of the Day: the Devil’s Bridge

The Camino leaves Cahors by means of the Pont Valentré, also known as Pont du Diable—the Devil’s Bridge. Construction began in 1308 on what has been called one of the most beautiful fortified medieval bridges still in existence. It was finally completed in 1378. Why the “Devil’s Bridge”? Legend has it that the master builder, exasperated by the slow pace of the work, made a deal with the Devil. From the French Wikipedia (via Google Translate):

According to the terms of this contract, Satan would use all his expertise to oversee the construction, and if he carried out all his orders, he would surrender his soul in payment. The bridge rose rapidly, the work was completed, and the contract came to an end. To save his soul, as he had no desire to end his days in hell, he asked the Devil to fetch water from the Chartreux spring for his workers, using a sieve.

Satan naturally returned empty-handed, the task being impossible, and lost his bargain. Determined to take revenge, the Devil sent a little devil each night to dislodge the last stone of the central tower, known as the Devil’s Tower, which had been replaced the day before by the masons. This is why, according to legend, the construction lasted 70 years.

In 1879, during the bridge’s restoration, the architect Paul Gout had a stone carved with the image of a little devil placed in the empty space. … Thus, every time the Devil checks to see if the bridge is indeed unfinished, he is mistaken in thinking that one of his own kind is dismantling it.

Date: 05 September 2023
Place: leaving Cahors, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France

Maps!