No human had succeeded in taming the Gardon River that engulfed any construction. One night, after the destruction of his efforts, a mason lamented: “This could be enough to give oneself to the devil”. Then the devil appeared and proposed to build a bridge. The man accepted and in exchange the devil asked for the first soul that would cross the bridge. The deal was sealed. The devil tore away blocs of stone and built an enormous bridge able to resist the devastating floods of the Gardon. At dawn, the bridge was finished. The mason’s wife had the idea of deceiving the devil and sent a hare onto the bridge. The devil, at the quick, swiftly grabbed the hare. Having realized what he had, in his fury he plastered the animal into the bridge, and to this day, the contours are clearly visible.
Legend of Pont du Gard
