Pont Saint-Bénézet (St. Benezet Bridge), Avignon (must see)

You may have heard the famous French children's song, On the Bridge of Avignon, that goes something like: "On the bridge of Avignon, Everyone is dancing. On the bridge of Avignon, Everyone dances in a ring."

Well, here's the funny thing: people are believed to have danced beneath the bridge, or on the riverbank, rather than on top of it. Somehow, over the years, the dancing moved upstairs, at least in the song! And there they all are: handsome gentlemen, lovely ladies, soldiers, musicians, and friends, going round and round...

As for the bridge itself, it has an equally interesting story.

The famous Bridge of Avignon, officially known as the Bridge of Saint Bénézet, takes its name from a young shepherd who lived from around 1165 to 1184. According to legend, in 1177, Bénézet approached the local bishop with an extraordinary claim: he'd received a divine vision instructing him to build a bridge across the Rhône River.

And not just anywhere, mind you, but at a particularly challenging stretch of the river. Understandably, the bishop was skeptical. However, legend has it that Bénézet demonstrated his divine mission by miraculously lifting an enormous stone. Work on the bridge eventually began, and Bénézet became associated with numerous miracles. Later, he was also regarded as the patron saint of bridge builders.

The original medieval bridge suffered repeated damage from flooding and warfare. A later stone reconstruction, dating from the 13th century, stretched roughly 900 meters across the Rhône, supported by 22 arches. Unfortunately, the river wasn't particularly cooperative. Its powerful floods repeatedly damaged the structure, and repairs eventually became too expensive.

Today, only four arches survive, along with the small Saint Nicholas Chapel, which stands on one of the bridge's piers. The bridge was designated a French Historical Monument in 1840.

So, as you admire what's left of this famous crossing, remember: the bridge may have lost most of its arches, but its song has traveled considerably farther than the bridge ever did.