| Registration Classification | cultural heritage |
| Registration Criteria | (1),(2),(4),(6) |
| Year of registration | 1996 |
The Canal du Midi is a 360-km-long waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, built by Pierre-Paul Riquet, who made his fortune as a salt tax collector in the 17th century. It is a collection of various architectural techniques, including sluices, aqueducts, and tunnels, and is regarded as the “Gateway to Modern Architecture.
Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Canal du Midi is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about the Canal du Midi!
What is the Midi Canal?
A 360-km-long canal from Toulouse in southwestern France to Lake Tho on the Mediterranean Sea, built between 1667 and 1694. France can be said to have paved the way for the Industrial Revolution with the completion of this canal. Pierre-Paul Riquet, an engineer and successful salt tax collector, received permission from Louis XIV to begin construction.
Originally, the Canal du Midi was also the run of the “Canal du Midi” project, which connected the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean by connecting waterways. The area where the Canal du Midi was built was rugged, and the most advanced technology of the time was used to build aqueducts, tunnels, and sluice gates.In particular, the Malba Tunnel, the world’s first canal tunnel, is 16 meters long.
The seven-tiered sluice gate at Foncelanne, with its terraced appearance, is a typical view of the canal. The Canal du Midi became the foundation for the construction of subsequent canals, including the creation of several reservoirs to flood the entire canal.
As a result, the completion of the canal greatly increased wine shipments to the south of France. However, with the advent of the railroad in the 19th century, the use of the canal declined drastically. Now it is rather famous as a tourist destination, and canal cruises are often offered. And its beautiful canal scenery is a walking route.
For what reason is the Canal du Midi on the World Heritage List?
Midi Canal was recognized for the following
Registration Criteria (i)
The point that the Canal du Midi is a successful masterpiece of civil engineering even in modern times.
Registration Criteria (ii)
The canal represented a technological innovation that crystallized architectural techniques and the wisdom of mankind.
Registration Criteria (iv)
The point is that the construction of canals with elevation differences, using civil engineering and other techniques, was an important stage in the development of European building technology.
Registration Criteria (v)
It means that the Canal du Midi has created a unique landscape while combining with the environment and other features.
World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Comments
Anyway, the greatness of this canal cannot be seen at first glance, but at that time it was quite a dream to build an artificial canal over such a long distance.And the canal tunnel and the 53 locks, of which there are several, are a good example of the high level of European technology of the time.The canal was the longest canal of its kind in the world.
Incidentally, it is said that Riquet devoted almost all of his personal fortune to the construction of the canal, even selling his furniture and using his daughter’s wedding dowry. However, he died without seeing it completed. After his death, the canal was completed in 1681, thus achieving the great feat of connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.
