Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
,
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...
, France. The aqueduct was first planned in 1565, but it was not realized until the 19th century. It was designed by Jean François Mayor de Montricher and built between 1841 and 1847; it is the largest stone aqueduct in the world. It was designated as a ''
monument historique
() is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...
'' (national heritage site) in 2002.
Location
The aqueduct is located near Aix-en-Provence. It can be reached via the D64 road. It crosses the Arc river in Ventabren.
History
The idea of the aqueduct was first envisaged by Adam de Craponne, an engineer from Salon de Provence, in 1565.
After the drought of 1834 and the subsequent cholera epidemics, the idea resurfaced.Maximin-Dominique Consolat (1785–1858), who served as the mayor of
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
from 1832 to 1843, championed the idea. He hired engineer Jean François Mayor de Montricher (1810–1858) to design it. Its construction took six years, from 1841 to 1847. It took 5,000 labourers, including 300 stone-cutters, and it cost 3,800,000 French francs. It is 83 metres high, 375 metres long, and the foundations are 9 to 10 metres deep.
The aqueduct brings water ( Canal de Marseille) from the
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
for his work. It was later photographed by renowned photographer
Édouard Baldus
Édouard Baldus (5 June 1813, Grünebach, Prussia – 1889, Arcueil) was a French Landscape art, landscape, architecture, architectural and railway photographer.
Biography Early life
Édouard-Denis Baldus was born on 5 June 1813 in Grünebach, P ...
.
On 12 September 1992 the 150th anniversary of the aqueduct was celebrated. The ceremony was attended by
Jean-Claude Gaudin
Jean-Claude Gaudin (; 8 October 1939 – 20 May 2024) was a French politician for The Republicans. He served as the Mayor of Marseille from 1995 to 2020.
Gaudin was a member of the National Assembly of France from Bouches-du-Rhône from 1978 ...
monument historique
() is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which national heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a collection of buildings, ...