Canal Saint-Denis | |
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![]() Map of rivers and canals in and around Paris. The Canal Saint Denis is marked in the inset. | |
Specifications | |
Length | 6.6 km (4.1 mi) |
Maximum boat beam | 8 metres (26 ft) |
Maximum boat draft | 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) |
Minimum boat air draft | 4.4 metres (14 ft) |
Locks | 7 (originally 12) |
History | |
Date approved | 1802 |
Date completed | 1821 |
Geography | |
Start point | Bassin de la Villette |
Connects to | Canal 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).
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