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Canal de Castilla | |
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![]() Canal de Castilla in Medina de Rioseco | |
Location | Castile and León (Burgos, Palencia, Valladolid) |
Country | ![]() |
Coordinates | 41°44′58″N 4°38′49″W / 41.749444°N 4.646943°W |
Specifications | |
Length | 207 km (129 miles) |
History | |
Construction began | 1753 |
Date of first use | December 14, 1849 |
Date completed | 1849 |
The Canal of Castile (Canal de Castilla in Spanish) is a canal in the north of Spain. Constructed between the last half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, it was conceived to facilitate the transportation of wheat from Castille to the ports in the Bay of Biscay for export. The canal runs 207 km through the provinces of Burgos, Palencia and Valladolid, in the Autonomous Community of Castile and León.
The canal was mostly used between 1850 and 1870 but competition with railways saw its use change to irrigation and for powering mills, in the latter part of the 19th century. Navigation ceased in 1959 with the closure of the locks.
Parts of the canal are still in use, and although navigation is limited to tourism, the canal is used to irrigate 23,000 hectares in 48 municipalities.[1] The canal is now protected by a heritage listing, having been declared Bien de interés cultural in 1991.