Hugues Cosnier
Encyclopedia
Hugues Cosnier was a French
engineer who conceived of the Briare Canal
.
He was born in Angers
or Tours
, date unknown, and died in 1629.
He proposed to Henri IV the idea of building a canal from the Loire River
to the River Seine
. It would go from Briare
to Montargis
and then continue to the Seine
via the Loing
River. Cosnier began the canal in March 1604. He abandoned the project in 1610 with the death of Henri IV. In 1620, he was invited to continue his work on the canal. His death prevented him continuing the effort. Guillaume Boutheroue
completed the canal between 1638 and 1642.
Also in 1603, he received a grant to establish silkworm breeding, sericulture
, in Poitou
. The endeavor failed.
In 1618, his idea of encircling Paris with canals was accepted, but was never constructed.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
engineer who conceived of the Briare Canal
Briare Canal
The Canal de Briare is one of the oldest canals in France. It is the first summit level canal in Europe that was built using pound locks, connecting the Loire and Seine valleys. It is 57km long and is part of the Bourbonnais route from Saint-Mammès on the Seine to Chalon-sur-Saône on the Saône River...
.
He was born in Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
or Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, date unknown, and died in 1629.
He proposed to Henri IV the idea of building a canal from the Loire River
Loire (river)
The Loire is the longest river in France. With a length of , it drains an area of , which represents more than a fifth of France's land area. It is the 170th longest river in the world...
to the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
. It would go from Briare
Briare
Briare is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.Briare, the Brivodorum of the Romans, is situated at the extremity of the Briare Canal, which unites the Loire and its lateral canal with the Loing and so with the Seine. The lateral canal of the Loire crosses the Loire near...
to Montargis
Montargis
Montargis is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. The town is located about south of Paris and east of Orléans in the Gâtinais....
and then continue to the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
via the Loing
Loing
The Loing is a 142 km long river in central France, a left tributary of the Seine. Its source is in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing, in the south of the Yonne département.The Loing flows into the Seine in Saint-Mammès, near Moret-sur-Loing...
River. Cosnier began the canal in March 1604. He abandoned the project in 1610 with the death of Henri IV. In 1620, he was invited to continue his work on the canal. His death prevented him continuing the effort. Guillaume Boutheroue
Guillaume Boutheroue
Guillaume Boutheroue was a French engineer who completed the Briare Canal, originated by Hugues Cosnier.In 1623, he was the Poor Rate and Tax Collector at Beaugency....
completed the canal between 1638 and 1642.
Also in 1603, he received a grant to establish silkworm breeding, sericulture
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk.Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production by B...
, in Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
. The endeavor failed.
In 1618, his idea of encircling Paris with canals was accepted, but was never constructed.