The lion has been an Arlesian heraldic emblem for more than a 150 years. A lion appears in the seal of Arles, and they are incorporated into various sculptures around the city.
This morning, I cycled down to the "Pont aux Lions" (the lions bridge). All that remains of the bridge are the lions guarding both ends of the bridge and some pilings in the middle of the Rhone. The bridge was a railway bridge that was first used in 1868. It was bombed by Allied forces on 6 August 1944 to disrupt German shipping. Still a great presence at the edge of the Rhone.
A couple of weeks ago, I walked through the Hotel de Ville (city hall) and the Place de la Republique on which it is located and I took all of these photos of sculpted lions.
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