Roquefavour Aqueduct
Introduction
The Roquefavour Aqueduct (French: aqueduc de Roquefavou) is an aqueduct bridge built in the commune of Ventabren,[1] near Aix-en-Provence, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, France. The aqueduct was first planned in 1565, but was not completed until the 19th century. Its construction, begun in 1841 and completed in 1847, was directed by the bridge and road engineer Jean François Mayor de Montricher and William Fraisse. Largely inspired by the ancient architecture of the Pont du Gard, it is almost twice as tall as it, being the largest stone aqueduct in the world. It was designated as a historical monument in 2002.
Built with stone arches with a length of and a height of , it is part of the Marseille canal and serves to supply water from the Durance River to Marseille. It crosses the valley of the Arc River ("Arc River (Savoy)"), crossing both the river and the road from Aix-en-Provence to Berre and the Rognac-Aix-en-Provence railway line").
It is still used today. The TGV Méditerranée line passes less than a kilometer to the east, and also crosses the valley thanks to an important viaduct.
History
The idea of the aqueduct was first raised by Adam de Craponne"), an engineer from Salon de Provence, in 1565. 1843, he defended the idea.[5] He hired the engineer Jean François Mayor de Montricher") (1810–1858) to design it.[5] Its construction lasted six years, from 1841 to 1847.[6][5] It took 5,000 workers, including 300 stonemasons, and cost about 3,800,000 French francs.[5] It is 83 meters high, 375 meters long, and the foundations are 9 to 10 meters deep.[5].
The aqueduct carries water (part of the Marseille canal) from the Durance River to the Palais Longchamp in Marseille, to La Ciotat.[3][5] The water began to flow on June 30, 1847.[5] On September 30, 1852, Emperor Louis Napoleon Bonaparte awarded Jean François Mayor de Montricher the Legion of Honor for his work.[5] He was later photographed by renowned photographer Édouard Baldus.
On September 12, 1992, the 150th anniversary of the aqueduct was celebrated.[5] The event was attended by Jean-Claude Gaudin (senator and president of the Regional Council), Lucien Weygand (president of the General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône), Robert Vigouroux (senator and mayor of Marseille), Jean-François Picheral") (mayor of Aix-en-Provence), Bertrand Dauberlieu (president of the Société des Eaux de Marseille")) and Jean-Marie Duron (mayor of Ventabren).[5].