Briare Canal
| Canal de Briare | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Specifications | |
| Length | 57 km (35 mi) |
| Locks | 36 |
| Status | Open |
| History | |
| Construction began | 1604 |
| Date completed | 1642 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Briare |
| End point | Buges near Montargis |
| Beginning coordinates | 47°38′20″N 2°43′46″E / 47.63899°N 2.72937°E |
| Ending coordinates | 48°01′42″N 2°43′21″E / 48.02821°N 2.72259°E |
| Connects to | Canal du Loing and Canal Lateral a la Loire |
The Canal de Briare is one of the oldest canals in France. It is the first summit level canal in Europe that was built using pound locks, connecting the Loire and Seine valleys. It is 57 kilometres (35 miles) long and is part of the Bourbonnais route from Saint-Mammès on the Seine to Chalon-sur-Saône on the Saône River.
From Briare to Buges, the canal rises through the first 12 locks some 41 m (135 ft) and then falls 85 m (279 ft) through the remaining 24 locks.
The canal was initiated by Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully, with support from Henry IV in order to develop the grain trade, and to reduce food shortages. Its construction started in 1604 and was completed in 1642. Between six and twelve thousand workmen worked on this canal which connects the basins of the River Loire and the River Seine. Hugues Cosnier obtained the contract to build the first canal crossing a watershed in Europe. It was thus necessary to use locks. A staircase of seven locks was built in Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses. (This was bypassed in 1887 but is preserved as an ancient monument and floodlit at night.)
After Henri IV's assassination, Hugues Cosnier had to give up work in 1611. In 1638, Guillaume Boutheroue and Jacques Guyon applied to resume work, and received letters patent from Louis XIII for this purpose. They created with other nobles the "Compagnie des seigneurs du canal de Loyre en Seine" and work was completed by 1642.
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Wikipedia