Unlock the mystery behind the romantic tradition of attaching padlocks to bridges. Explore the symbolism, origins, and controversies surrounding these 'locks of love', and discover how this simple act has become a global phenomenon.
The romantic gesture of leaving padlocks on bridges has swept the world, putting the famous structures at risk
A few years ago a man named Edward went on a romantic minibreak with his girlfriend.
- He took a padlock out of his pocket and showed it to his girlfriend, explaining that he intended to fix it to the railings of the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, so that it would stand forever as a beautiful tribute to their lasting love.
- The couple eventually broke up, but the lock, however, remained firmly in place.
The Parisian authorities started to cut away the locks
There were now over a million of them and the weight had been blamed for the collapse of part of the bridge’s parapets.
- In a somewhat unloving statement, the Paris health and safety officials stated that “The romantic gestures cause long-term heritage degradation and danger to visitors.”
- As yet no one knows where the so-called “love locks” have been taken or what the city council intends to do with them.
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