Zola Dam is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

in Le Tholonet near

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 ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

History

The dam was designed by Italian-born engineer François Zola, the father of novelist

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

. Its construction was initially rejected by

Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet Gaston Alexandre Auguste, Marquis de Galliffet, Prince de Martigues (23 January 1830 – 8 July 1909) was a French general, best known for having taken part in the repression of the 1871 Paris Commune. He was Minister of War in Waldeck-Rousseau' ...

, the landowner, in 1838. Zola founded the Société du Canal Zola in 1846 and began construction. He died, however, in 1847, and the company was acquired by author and politician Jules Migeon in 1853. Construction of the dam was completed on September 10, 1854, and it was dedicated on December 16, 1854. The dam was painted by

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

in the 1880s. The painting belonged to

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...

in 1885. It was purchased by Gwendoline Davies in 1918, who donated it to the National Museum Wales in 1952.

References

Buildings and structures in Bouches-du-Rhône Dams in France Dams completed in 1854 1854 establishments in France Gravity dams {{Europe-dam-stub