The city of Paris, France, has decided, once and for all, to get rid of
the hundreds of thousands of love locks that adorn the historic Pont des
Arts.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK The pedestrian bridge will be closed off between June 1 to June 7
For a week, beginning June 1, the city will begin dismantling the mesh
fencing weighed down by thousands of love locks, putting an end to the
practice that endangered the structural integrity of the city’s iconic
pedestrian bridge and, for its staunchest critics, is tantamount to
vandalism.
After politely asking tourists to refrain from affixing a lock to the bridge in a public service campaign last summer, and encouraging couples to proclaim their love with selfies instead, the city has taken a definitive stand on the ritual at the risk of disappointing lovelorn visitors.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK The pedestrian bridge will be closed off between June 1 to June 7
For a week, beginning June 1, the city will begin dismantling the mesh
fencing weighed down by thousands of love locks, putting an end to the
practice that endangered the structural integrity of the city’s iconic
pedestrian bridge and, for its staunchest critics, is tantamount to
vandalism.
After politely asking tourists to refrain from affixing a lock to the bridge in a public service campaign last summer, and encouraging couples to proclaim their love with selfies instead, the city has taken a definitive stand on the ritual at the risk of disappointing lovelorn visitors.
Though details are scarce, the city says that it will be replacing
the fencing with an artistic installation designed by international
artists, which will remain until the fall, when permanent glass panels
will be mounted on the length of the bridge.
Contrary to popular belief, love locks are not an age-old tradition or rite of passage in Paris, but one that is thought to have started a few years ago following the publication of a popular Italian romance novel, I Want You in 2006, in which a young couple affixed a padlock to the Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome, Italy, as a sign of their eternal love. Adopted by young lovers in Europe, the practice has since spread around the world, on bridges in the US, Canada, and China.
In 2012, city officials in Rome put a swift end to the practice by dispatching workers armed with bolt-cutters to clear the Ponte Milvio bridge of the emblems of love. For Paris-bound visitors, that means that the pedestrian bridge will be closed off between June 1 to June 7.
Contrary to popular belief, love locks are not an age-old tradition or rite of passage in Paris, but one that is thought to have started a few years ago following the publication of a popular Italian romance novel, I Want You in 2006, in which a young couple affixed a padlock to the Ponte Milvio bridge in Rome, Italy, as a sign of their eternal love. Adopted by young lovers in Europe, the practice has since spread around the world, on bridges in the US, Canada, and China.
In 2012, city officials in Rome put a swift end to the practice by dispatching workers armed with bolt-cutters to clear the Ponte Milvio bridge of the emblems of love. For Paris-bound visitors, that means that the pedestrian bridge will be closed off between June 1 to June 7.
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