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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Roquefavour aqueduct, built between 1841 and 1847 under the direction of engineer Jean de Montricher, is a 393-metre long stone aqueduct and 82.65-metre high. Located in the commune of Ventabren (Bouches-du-Rhône), it makes it possible to get the water from the Durance to Marseille via the Marseille Canal, crossing the Arc Valley, the Aix-en-Provence road to Berre and the railway. Inspired by the Pont du Gard, it is almost twice as high, becoming the highest stone aqueduct in the world.

The project was born after the droughts of 1833-1834 and an epidemic of cholera in Marseille, forcing Mayor Maximin-Dominique Consolat to propose an 80 km canal. Montricher, despite a high cost (3.8 million gold francs), imposes his design in masonry rather than a bridge-siphon. The work, begun in 1841, involved 5,000 workers, including 300 tailors of stone, using blocks of 15 tons transported by a 9 km temporary railway from Velaux. The technical and financial difficulties led to a state-controlled recovery in 1842.

Inaugurated in 1847, the aqueduct was hailed as a "wonder of the world" by Lamartine and listed as a historical monument in 2005. Its three-storey architecture (12, 15 and 53 arches) contrasts with the bridge of the Gard, with proportions criticized for their imbalance. Still in service, it provides 80% of Marseille's drinking water (240 million m3/year in 2016). Major restorations (2020-2024, €16.8 million) ensured its sustainability, combining public funding and subsidies for historical monuments.

The book, linked to the Longchamp Palace celebrating the arrival of water in Marseille, is also a cultural symbol. It appears in films (Four boys full of future) and series (Draculi & Gandolfi), and its rough stone trim, left voluntarily unpolished for economic reasons, creates characteristic shadow games. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte decorated Montricher with the Legion of Honour in 1852 for this creation.

Technical challenges included the installation of additional pipes in 1971 (4.4 m3/s) and the replacement of the bezel with a 2.20 m pipe in 1975. Despite criticism of its proportions (Bernard Marrey, 1990), the aqueduct remains a 19th century masterpiece of engineering, harmoniously integrating the Provençal landscape with the Sainte-Victoire mountain as a backdrop.

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