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Canal Saint-Martin - Paris (France)

Canal Saint-Martin 25/02/2023 08h49

Canal Saint-Martin as seen from the Quai de Valmy at the level of the Square des Maures with at the other side of the canal the Quai de Jemmapes with the building of Exacompta, a factory of a leading brand specialized in stationery, office supplies, writing paper and office equipment.

 

Canal Saint-Martin

The Canal Saint-Martin is a 4.5 km long canal in Paris. It connects the Canal de l'Ourcq to the river Seine and runs underground between Bastille (Paris Métro) and République (Paris Métro).

Construction of the canal was ordered by Napoleon I in 1802, in order to create an artificial waterway for supplying Paris with fresh water to support a growing population and to help avoid diseases such as dysentery and cholera.

Gaspard de Chabrol, prefect of Paris, proposed building a canal from the Ourcq River (starting 100 km northeast of Paris). The canal was dug from 1802 to 1825, funded by a new tax on wine. The canal was also used to supply Paris with food (grain), building materials, and other goods, carried on canal boats. Two ports were created in Paris on the canal to unload the boats: the Port de l'Arsenal and the Bassin de la Villette.

By the 1960s, traffic had dwindled to a trickle and the canal narrowly escaped being filled in and paved over for a highway. Today, the canal is covered for a portion of its life: from Rue du Faubourg du Temple to the Place de la Bastille.

The entrance of the canal is a double lock near the Place de Stalingrad. Then, towards the river Seine, the canal is bordered by the Quai de Valmy on one side and the Quai de Jemmapes on the other. The canal widens at Bassin de la Villette, the largest artificial lake in Paris, and finally ends at the Seine via the Port de l'Arsenal. Along the canal is an unusual hydraulic lifting bridge, the Pont levant de la rue de Crimée.

[ Wikipedia - Canal Saint-Martin ]

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Uploaded on July 18, 2023
Taken on February 25, 2023