Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Rhône at dusk, Avignon, France

© David Noton/Minden Pictures

Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Rhône at dusk, Avignon, France

The water under the bridge in this image belongs to the Rhône, a major river which flows some 500 miles through Europe on its way to the Mediterranean. Here in Avignon, France, the Rhône drifts under the remains of a medieval bridge known as Pont Saint-Bénézet, named for a young shepherd boy. Legend says that around 1177, Bénézet had a vision from God instructing him to build the bridge. He miraculously lifted a block of heavy stone, which inspired the city to help as Bénézet founded a brotherhood of bridge builders to oversee its construction.