Look ahead and you’ll spot a sturdy stone bridge stretching across the calm river, its two arches mirrored in the water, framed by trees and the sweeping view of Thouars’ old town above.
Welcome to the Chouan Bridge-though, be warned, this crossing has more names than a secret agent! Built back in the 1200s to link Thouars and Saint-Jean-de-Bonneval, it was crafted to outdo its predecessor, making travel from east to west much less splashy. By the 1400s, things got a tad more dramatic: defenses were added and a mighty gatehouse, the porte Maillot, rose smack in the middle. I can only imagine the toll collectors liked to think of themselves as bridge trolls.
Fast-forward to May 1793-the smell of musket smoke and clamor of battle fills the air! The Vendée armies surge over the bridge during fierce fighting in Thouars, and overnight, the old bridge sheds its former names to become the “Chouan Bridge.” Then, in a twist worthy of a thriller, German forces blast it in August 1944 during World War II. If you look closely, you can almost picture the chaos and the resilience it has seen.
But worry not, modern magic restored it in 1984 and again in 2022, with fresh railings and new decking. Notice the triangular ‘beaks’ on those piers-these help break up the river’s current, smart engineering from medieval times! Standing here, you’re part of a long chain of travelers-foot soldiers and families, rebels and residents-who relied on these stones. And, since 1938, the bridge has even had the fancy status of a historical monument. Not bad for a bridge with so many identities, eh?
