Island with the Ladies

The island with the Ladies , also called Island of Limay , is a island of the the Seine, long approximately three kilometers, located in the Yvelines between Mantes-the-Pretty and Limay. It is attached administratively to the common of Limay, except the downstream part since the old bridge which depends on Mantes-the-Pretty.

This island is crossed by several Pont S:

the road bridge, known as new bridge, connecting Mantes-the-Pretty to Limay; this bridge completed in 1855 was destroyed in May 1945 and rebuilt in 1951;
the road bridge of the by-pass of skirting Is agglomeration, open in 1992;
the railway bridge, known as bridge of Argenteuil, passage of the line Paris-Saint-Lazare - Mantes-the-Pretty via Conflans-Holy-Honorine;
one can see between Right Bank (Limay) and the island some arches remaining of the old bridge;
the bridge which connects it to the island Alms, only possible access for this island.

The island with the Ladies was constituted by the meeting of several distinct in the past islands of the Seine: island with the Horses, island Champion, island of Pear, island of Limay. The part upstream, greatest, probably corresponds to the old island of Limay of which it kept the name, the other small islands having formed the downstream part.

The island with the Ladies lodges sporting installations, of which a nautical base, a swimming pool, a stage, courts of tennis…

The old bridge, dating from XIIe century, whose arches were remade in XVIe century, was unused for its northern part, only remaining, in 1855. The central arches were destroyed during the Second world war. It was classified historic building in 1953. It is known like the “bridge of Corot”, the painter Camille Corot having represented it several times, whose table Pont of Mantes celebrates it, showing a sight from the island of Limay, painted in 1868 (Musée of Louvre). The “house of the frontier runner” located at the entry of the old bridge, is classified Historic building, and accommodates besides since 2000 a gallery of tables, the “gallery of the bridge of Corot”.

The island with the Ladies was formerly appreciated for its walk of Peuplier S, which constituted a pleasant framework of walks, but this one was devastated by the bombardments of the second world war, aiming at cutting down the bridge.

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