Pont Valentre in the city of Cahors, France

 Nikola Benin

In 1306, the consuls of the city of Cahors decided on the construction of a bridge at a place called "Valandre" on the western part of the meander of Cahors. Two other bridges existed in Cahors: the Pont Vieux in the south and the Pont Neuf in the east.

The first stone of the new work was placed solemnly in 1308 by the First Consul Geraud de Sabanac. The project lasted nearly 70 years, giving birth to the legend that the devil assisted the architect. In 1345 it was possible to cross the bridge's table but the three towers were probably only completed around 1380, despite the crises of the Hundred Years War.

Mentioned in 1840 in the first French lists of Historical Monuments, the Pont Valentré was restored in 1880 by architect Paul Gout, who had a little devil carved at the top of the central tower by local artist Antoine-Cyprien Calmon.

A Remarkable example of medieval architecture, the bridge has been listed as a historic monument since 1998 and registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the pilgrimage road to Santiago de Compostela.

With a length of 172 meters, the bridge has eight arches resting on piles which feature a front 'bec'. It has three towers, of which only the two placed on the banks were fortified with battlements and archery windows. Each end was originally protected by a gatehouse, these have almost disappeared today.

The bridge has been closed to traffic since 1995.

It has been registered as one of the “remarkable Bridges South of France” since 2012.