The Canal du Midi

Building a canal, which would connect the two oceans across the landmass of France, was almost science fiction in the 1600s. But surprisingly, this project had been pondered by French Royalty and politicians from Henri IV onwards. To facilitate commercial transport, cutting across the landmass would save some 1800 miles of sometimes perilous travel through Straits of Gibraltar. But, along with economizing the distance and avoiding pirate attacks, the rivalry between France and Spain cannot be dismissed as an impetus for the canal. The canal would allow French commerce to avoid the steep tariffs applied by Spain for the use of the Straits of Gibraltar. The idea of France discontinuing the enrichment of Spain by paying these tariffs did not displease the King of France and his famous Financial Counsel Colbert.
producer of strawberries and tobacco. Without royal ambitions from Louis the Fourteenth, and the intelligence of Colbert, his finance counsellor, who knew all too well that a kingdom’s power lay in its commercial development, the canal project would never have seen the light of day. But it is undoubtedly thanks to the audacity and stubbornness of one man that this gigantic work became a reality. Pierre-Paul Riquet, the Baron of Bonrepos, devoted the last 14 years of his life to the outlandish project - a 240 km canal, from Toulouse to the Bassin de Thau. This man was not an engineer by trade but simply a tax collector. He had in fact become quite wealthy thanks to the tax on salt -- the Gabelle -- which was very unpopular with the French. However, his extreme common sense, his personnel management qualities as well as his personal fortune, (which he did not hesitate to pour into this project), allowed him to realize his dream within fourteen years! With only the technology of shovels and pick-axes!

One of the major difficulties for the construction of this canal was the insurance of a continuous source of sufficient water for navigation. With the help of a water diviner, Riquet actively walked the slopes of the Black Mountain (situated north of Villefranche-de-Lauraguay and Carcassonne) in order to locate a water source. He discovered on the plateau of Naurouze a small stream -- the Fountain La Grave -- which divided itself naturally into two tributaries: one descending toward the South-West and the Mediterranean, and the other toward the West and the Atlantic. He thought of building a reservoir that would supply water to these two slopes. The Saint-Ferréol Basin was built in 1667, and was, at that time, the largest artificial reservoir in the world. Because of some reluctance by the government to finance such a project, Riquet chose to personally finance the digging of the channel, 20 miles long, which allowed him to bring and collect water into the basin.

Technology being what it was, it was obvious that such an ambitious project would be difficult to realize. The canal would have to be dug with shovels and pickaxes. With these conditions, Pierre-Paul Riquet offered the 12,000 men and women who would work on this adventure generous salaries. He also offered rest days, (holidays and Sundays), non-working rain days, ample housing at a low cost, and paid sick leave. The local entrepreneurs were very displeased with these competitive advantages which drew their employees away from their jobs, or worse, started their workers to dream of the same benefits for themselves! These were revolutionary measures for the times, and no doubt the beginning of the first social benefits to French employees.

Technical difficulties surrounding the canal were numerous, and many Riquet’s detractors anxiously waited the slightest "faux-pas" to have the project halted. No less than 63 locks, 126 bridges, 105 aqueducts, 6 dams and 7 canal-bridges were built in the end, for a total distance of 145 miles between Toulouse and Sète. Among the many obstacles encountered which could have ruined Riquet, was Malpas Hill, 4 miles west of Béziers. Going around this large hill meant more wasted time and money. Pierre-Paul Riquet decided to build a tunnel. However, a very difficult terrain rendered this operation extremely dangerous and uncertain. Informed of these conditions, Colbert stopped the process cold. Against the government’s wishes, Riquet amassed workers from other sites and continued the work illicitly. He knew time was his enemy and proceeded as quickly as possible. In only one week, the first navigational tunnel in the world -- 160 yards long -- had been built. This in itself was one of his greatest triumphs.

Almost immediately, tens of thousands of trees (45,000 planes, pines, poplars and fruit trees) were planted with several distinct purposes. The trees would create shade along the canal, not only to provide comfort for the bargemen and tow horses while navigating, but also to limit the evaporation of water during the summer months, which are hot in this southern region of France. Also, the roots of the trees would help strengthen the riverbanks, and the leaves would form a layer in the bottom of the canal to reduce the risk of water infiltrating the soil. Because of this, the canal is simply lovely for the tourists as they meander their way on barges or bicycles. For 200 years the Canal du Midi was an economic success providing for the transport of merchandise. However, because of competition from more rapid and reasonably priced transportation in modern times, the canal as a commercial waterway has been abandoned. For the past thirty years however, it has known a resurgence in its activity thanks to river tourism. Hundreds of thousands visit the waterway each year. There is no better way to explore this region than to hop aboard a “péniche” or barge, along the “rivières et canaux du midi”. It is a leisurely way to travel through these varied landscapes and discover the many historical cities, such as Toulouse, Castelnaudary, Carcassonne, Béziers, and Sète - to name some of the larger ones. While you are there, rent a bicycle, visit the ancient towpaths and enjoy the peaceful Canal.
Article courtesy of My French Store