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110:. The old bridge at Avignon, some arches of which still remain, dates from the end of the 12th century. Up to the present days, St. Bénézet is venerated in Avignon as the builder of the bridge and founder of the Frères Pontifes. The Fratres Pontifices are believed to have been very active, and to have built other bridges at
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It is inconceivable that a youth accompanied by some followers without any construction experience should have built a 900 m long stone arch bridge in an era when all experience and tradition of building large bridges had been lost and when all skilled trades were strictly controlled by the
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Historical research, however, led to the conclusion that no brotherhood of the kind described by the legend ever existed. There are no historical sources relating to the existence of any such order and there is no evidence of any of the numerous bridges allegedly built by the Order.
264:, other writers have had the brotherhood executing bridges throughout Europe and even in countries as far away as Britain and Sweden (although there was never any historical report of such extensive activities).
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the use of the funds since they were one of the very few institutions capable of rendering such services. The construction works were executed by professional builders not related to any religious order.
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228:. This kind of financing required the sustained initiative of persons interested in the project, typically the heads of the local trading houses, who got together in a
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to those who, by money or labor, contributed to the construction of a bridge, even when no brotherhood or religious organization was involved. The register of the
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are sometimes mentioned as belonging to the same association. In addition to the construction of bridges, the brotherhood allegedly often attended to the
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The most surprising aspect is their success in making it into the most serious reference works such as the
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of the principal rivers, besides building bridges and looking after ferries. The bridge over the RhĂ´ne at
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who represented the church, and the artisans were the workers who actually built the bridges.
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to the
Fratres Pontifices in 1191, but the authenticity of that Papal Bull is questioned.
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existed, the financial means for such a large project could be put up only by collecting
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Brockhaus' Kleines
Konversations-Lexikon, fifth edition, volume 1, Leipzig 1911, p. 275
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There are conflicting reports regarding the recognizance of the
Fratres Pontifices by
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98:). Bénézet was a youth who, according to legend, was divinely inspired to build the
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active during the 12th and 13th centuries and whose purpose was building
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The "Frères
Pontifes" are a legend without any historical background.
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The
Brotherhood is supposed to have consisted of three branches--
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had nothing to do with a religious order or even less with a
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Building bridges greatly helped travelers and in particular
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and
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248:The title "Pontifex Avenione / Pontife d'Avigon" (
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319:Le Pont en France avant le temps des ingénieurs
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186:Papal Bull
238:monastery
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230:confrèrie
214:banknotes
120:Mallemort
116:Lourmarin
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63:to grant
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147:artisans
124:hospices
96:Benedict
57:pilgrims
446:Bridges
431:. 1905.
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192:History
163:lodging
159:Sisters
139:knights
108:Avignon
45:bridges
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143:clergy
61:bishop
51:Legend
30:French
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222:coins
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175:quĂŞte
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104:RhĂ´ne
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