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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The triple lock of Fontfile, also known as Fonfile, is a lock ladder made up of three successive basins, built around 1674 on the Canal du Midi. Located in the municipality of Blomac (Aude, Occitanie), 130.4 km from Toulouse and 76 m above sea level, it connects the lock of Saint-Martin to the east with that of Marseillette to the west. This system allowed for the crossing of a significant level for vessels travelling between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The work is part of the colossal project of the Canal des Deux Mers, launched under Louis XIV to link the oceans via Languedoc.

The Canal du Midi, designed by engineer Pierre-Paul Riquet, was presented to Colbert in 1662 before work began in 1667. The first section (Toulouse-Naurouse) was completed in 1672, and the entire canal, after corrections, was completed at the end of 1682. The triple lock of Fontfile, a key part of this river system, was classified as a historic monument by order of 19 September 1996. Its architecture reflects the technical challenges of the time, combining hydraulic precision and landscape integration.

Today, the lock remains a major testimony of 17th century civil engineering and the economic ambition of the French monarchy. Its inscription in the title of historical monuments underlines its heritage importance, both for the history of transport and for the planning of the territory in Occitanie. The GPS coordinates available (78 Ecl de Fonfile, 11700 Blomac) allow to locate this emblematic site, still visible although its cartographic accuracy is assessed as poor (note 5/10).

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