The Pont Alexandre III (French pronunciation: [pɔ̃ alɛksɑ̃dʁ tʁwa]) is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris.
[4] The Beaux-Arts style bridge, with its exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at both ends, was built between 1896 and 1900.
The construction of the bridge is a marvel of 19th century engineering, consisting of a 6 metres (20 ft) high single span steel arch.
The design, by the architects Joseph Cassien-Bernard [fr] and Gaston Cousin, was constrained by the need to keep the bridge from obscuring the view of the Champs-Élysées or the Invalides.
Four gilt-bronze statues of Fames watch over the bridge, supported on massive 17 metres (56 ft) masonry socles, that provide stabilizing counterweight for the arch, without interfering with monumental views.