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Origin and history

The Riat Bridge, located in the commune of Revel, crosses the Rigole de la Plaine, a historic irrigation canal. Built probably at the end of the 17th century, it is characteristic of the bridges of this period, with a structure on the back of the donkey and parapets rebuilt in 1900. The asphalt apron is 3.90 metres wide for 13.70 metres long. In the vicinity, a drinking pot and the remains of a washbasin destroyed in 1980 recall its past community use.

The bridge was mentioned in 1797 as Pont del Reyats in an estimate of repairs ordered by the Minister of the Interior. The work included reconstruction of masonry bahuts and parapet coatings at a cost of £70.76. In 1899, the engineer of the Canal reported his degraded condition, notably the insufficient thickness of the deck (40 cm instead of 60 cm) and the disappearance of the parapets, requiring urgent repairs.

At the beginning of the 20th century, work was under way to restore the bridge and adjacent waterworks. In 1901 the commune of Revel obtained permission to build a public washhouse there, completed in 1902 and covered in 1928 by a metallic appentis. This wash, demolished in 1980, left room for vestiges still visible today, such as the edges of cut stone and a masonry perre. The bridge, the waterworks and the traces of the washhouse have been listed in the Historical Monuments since 1998.

The Riat bridge illustrates the evolution of the hydraulic and road infrastructure linked to the Canal du Midi and the Rigole de la Plaine. Its architecture, combining local stones and bricks, reflects the construction techniques of the time. The successive repairs, documented by engineering reports, underline its importance for the agricultural activities and daily life of the inhabitants of Revel.

Today, the bridge remains a testimony to the industrial and rural history of Occitanie. Its association with the drinking and washing facilities that disappeared evokes the collective uses of water and the community organization around these facilities, typical of the villages of the South-West in the 17th and 19th centuries.

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