Le Zouave, Paris

Le Zouave is the stone soldier built into the upstream face of the pont de l’Alma’s right-bank pier. Georges Diebolt carved this statue in 1856, and it is the sole survivor still at the bridge of four military figures once attached to the earlier structure. The figure represents a Zouave of the North African regiments whose troops fought at the Battle of the Alma.

That battle took place in 1854, when British, French and Ottoman forces defeated Russia; the 3rd Zouave regiment distinguished itself by capturing enemy guns. Look at the short jacket, loose trousers, chechia cap and rifle: these details give the statue the unmistakable appearance of its military subject. The stone figure measures 5.2 metres and weighs 8 tonnes.

As tradition has it, André-Louis Gody served as the model after Napoleon III noticed him at a review, although other proposed identities remain part of the story. The bridge was rebuilt between 1970 and 1974, leaving this statue in place while the other soldiers went elsewhere. Its altered height means it is no longer a precise flood gauge.

Parisian tradition still reads the water dramatically: flooding reaches the feet, while boat traffic stops when the river reaches the thighs. In 1910, the water rose as high as the Zouave’s shoulders.