Canal Saint-Denis

Canal Saint-Denis
Map of rivers and canals in and around Paris. The Canal Saint Denis is marked in the inset.
Specifications
Length6.6 km (4.1 mi)
Maximum boat beam8 metres (26 ft)
Maximum boat draft2.6 metres (8.5 ft)
Minimum boat air draft4.4 metres (14 ft)
Locks7 (originally 12)
History
Date approved1802
Date completed1821
Geography
Start pointBassin de la Villette
Connects toCanal de l'Ourcq

The Canal Saint-Denis is a canal in Paris, France that is 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) in length.[1] The canal connects the Canal de l'Ourcq, at a point north-northwest of the Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondissement, with the suburban municipalities of Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. There are seven locks along the canal's route, and, near Saint-Denis, the canal discharges into the Seine.[1]

In 1802 Napoléon Bonaparte issued a decree for the construction of the canal to both expedite shipping and reduce the number of ships and barges sailing up and down the Seine through the center of Paris.[1] Contracts to build and operate the canals in the Île-de-France were granted to private banking firms. These contracts required the city of Paris to purchase land, and the merchant-bankers who won the contracts, Roman Vassal, Lafitte, André, and Cottier, were expected to construct the waterways.[2] As compensation for their large outlays, the bankers were permitted to collect tolls on the canal for a term of ninety-nine years.[2] The canal was completed in 1821.

The canal is part of the Réseau des Canaux Parisiens (Parisian Canal Network), a public-works authority operated by the city. The other components of the network are the Canal de l'Ourcq, the Bassin de la Villette, the Canal Saint-Martin, and the Bassin de l'Arsenal.[1] Together, these canals and basins extend over a distance of 121 kilometres (75 mi).

  1. ^ a b c d Hugh McKnight (2005). Cruising French Waterways. Sheridan House, Inc. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-57409-210-3.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Geiger was invoked but never defined (see the help page).