Heron & Fox

After the old bridge from St Augustine to Anastasia Island broke down, a new one was designed to replace it. Intended to be a work of art as well as a functional bridge, and as a result St Augustine had to join its dedication with its annual celebration of the arrival of Ponce de Leon to Florida in 1927. The two marble lions that guard the bridge were private donations from Dr. Andrew Anderson, who donated much towards public art in St Augustine. Dr. Anderson asked Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy to create copies of the “Medici Lion” statues in the Royal Palace of Madrid. The two lions resulted in the bridge becoming known as The Bridge of Lions. The bridge required extensive reconstruction, when lasted from 2006 to 2010. The Lions themselves were put in storage to protect them, and replaced in 2011 after the landscaping in the area was ready to receive them.

After the old bridge from St Augustine to Anastasia Island broke down, a new one was designed to replace it. Intended to be a work of art as well as a functional bridge, and as a result St Augustine had to join its dedication with its annual celebration of the arrival of Ponce de Leon to Florida in 1927. After 80 years of use, the bridge underwent extensive reconstruction from 2006-2011. As much of the old bridge’s old decoration as possible. This view shows the part of the bridge that rises to allow ships to pass through the Matanzas River, part of the Intracoastal Waterway. The Bridge of Lions is part of State Road A1A, which is a scenic road running from Jacksonville to Miami, with some interruptions. The towers park where the two parts of the bridge swing up to allow ships to pass.