Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The viaduct of Saint-Chamas, also known as viaduct Saint-Léger, is a masonry railway viaduct built in the 2nd quarter of the 19th century. It allows the line from Paris-Lyon to Marseille-Saint-Charles to cross the Touloubre. It is 386 metres long and is located between the stations of Saint-Chamas and Rognac, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Its original architecture, composed of 49 arches in the middle of a tangled hanger, gives it a unique appearance, although criticized for its complexity deemed useless by some engineers like Paul Séjourné.

The viaduct was built under the direction of engineer Gustave Desplaces and commissioned in 1848. It is part of a period of intense development of railway infrastructure in France, where the technical constraints of the railways have led to the construction of many masonry viaducts. Despite reservations about its aesthetics and practical utility, the work remains a remarkable testimony of 19th century engineering.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 28 December 1984, the viaduct of Saint-Chamas is today a protected heritage, illustrating the history of transport and industrial architecture in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Its bold structure, with arches crossing to a third of their height, makes it a rare and studied example, although little imitated thereafter.

The viaduct belongs to a public establishment and is located at the approximate address of 34 Rue du Viaduc in Saint-Chamas. Its inscription among the Historical Monuments underlines its historic and technical importance in the French railway landscape.

External links