The Canal du Midi is a 17th-century canal in southern France that links Toulouse to the Mediterranean, forming part of a continuous waterway between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean through the Garonne. It was conceived and financed in large part by Pierre-Paul Riquet, a tax collector, and supported by King Louis XIV and his minister Colbert. The works were a major feat of engineering for their time, involving dozens of locks, aqueducts, bridges and an early canal tunnel at Malpas. Riquet died shortly before the canal opened. Used for centuries to carry grain, wine and other goods, it is now mainly a tourist route lined with plane trees, and it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Before and after
- 21 February 1677Death of Benedictus de Spinoza
- 4 March 1678Birth of Antonio Vivaldi
- from August 1678 to December 1678Kediri Campaign
- 4 December 1679Death of Thomas Hobbes
- 15 May 1681Construction of Canal du Midi
- 1682Founding of Philadelphia
- from 1683 to 1699Great Turkish War
- from 7 October 1683 to 9 October 1683Battle of Párkány
- 10 November 1683Birth of George II of Great Britain
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The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.