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This article analyzes a festive ceremony, organized in the presence of the king and the court on September 22, 1772, and immortalized by the painter Hubert Robert: the removal of the wooden hangers supporting the arches of the Neuilly Bridge under construction. It reconstructs the sequence of events, the main protagonists and the spatial layout of this ceremony. It focuses primarily on the issues at stake and the expected effects of this official fest with its unique theme, based on a study of its preparations and the comments it elicited. The investigation is based on a critical assessment of the traces of the event, paying close attention to the fact that they construct it as much as they record it. It highlights the efforts made by the organizers to saturate the narrative space with official representations. The details of this ceremony, which turned out to be Louis XV’s last public appearance, reveal the tensions that were rife in society at the end of his reign, as well as the links between technical knowledge and political power.