This bridge is a small museum of collective memory. Start with the stone soldier against one of the piers, almost touching the water. He is a Zouave, an infantryman of the kind who fought in the Crimean War, and the bridge is named after a battle in that war, on the River Alma in 1854.

1Paris's flood gauge

The first bridge opened in 1856 with four statues of soldiers. When it was rebuilt between 1970 and 1974, only the Zouave, by Georges Diebolt, stayed. For generations Parisians have used him to judge floods: when the water reaches his feet, the river is high. During the great flood of January 1910, it came up to his shoulders.

2One flame, two stories

On the Right Bank stands the Flame of Liberty, a full-size gilded copper replica of the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York. A gift from the United States, linked to the centenary of the ‘International Herald Tribune’ newspaper, it was unveiled in 1989 as a symbol of Franco-American friendship.

On 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in a crash in the tunnel directly below. Since then the flame has become a spontaneous memorial.

In 2019 the square was renamed Place Diana.

3What to look out for

  • The Zouave and the water level at his feet.
  • The Flame of Liberty and its dedication plaque.
  • The flowers and messages visitors still leave.
The Zouave statue against a pier of the Pont de l'Alma
Georges Diebolt's Zouave, Paris's unofficial flood gauge.

Documented

The original bridge dates from 1856 and was rebuilt between 1970 and 1974; the Flame of Liberty was unveiled in 1989, and Diana died in the Alma tunnel on 31 August 1997.

Sources and credits

City of Paris (paris.fr), pages on the Pont de l'Alma and Place Diana; French Ministry of Culture, Mérimée database; Vigicrues / French Ministry for Ecological Transition, history of the 1910 flood.

Photos:

Spotted a mistake? Drop us a line and we’ll look into it.