Jean Ango Lift Bridge

As a sea port city, Dieppe has two separate bridges that allow residents to move easily from one basin to another. The bridge in front of you is the stunning Jean Ango Lift Bridge. It links the town centre to the Pollet peninsula by land, and the Duquesne basin to the outer harbour by sea. Inaugurated in 1881, but rebuilt in its current form in 1950, the bridge is unique in that it operates like a drawbridge. Designed by Dieppois architect Georges Feray, its operating cabin is reminiscent of that found on a ship, with its large bay window and the two bas-reliefs carved into the walls. The emblem of the seafarers’ health service is depicted on one of the bas-reliefs. The other depicts Jean Ango’s coat of arms, along with the year the cabin was built. Jean Ango was a wealthy shipowner from Dieppe, who was himself the son of a shipowner from Rouen. Among other things, he sent numerous ships to King François I to explore the globe and conquer the New World. He also funded the outfitting of his royal fleet for the wars the king waged against England between 1544 and 1545. Jean Ango was annoyed by the Iberian monopoly on maritime trade, and became one of the first French merchants to do business with America, India and Africa, even if it meant triggering protests and reprisals from Charles V’s Spain and João III’s Portugal. The name of this key figure in Dieppe’s history was a fitting choice for this outstanding bridge.