Étang de Montady
Encyclopedia
The Étang de Montady, the "pond of Montady", is a drained "lagoon" or more accurately a former freshwater wetland
that is popularly said to be "constructed by the Visigoths" but was realised by monks during the second half of the 13th century, under authorization of the archbishop of Narbonne. The Étang de Montady is near Colombiers
, midway between Béziers
and Narbonne
, in the western department of Hérault
, in southern France.
The area was drained by making radial ditches from a single center point out to the extremities. The water flows to this center point and is then drained through an underground culvert and through the Malpas hill and under the Malpas Tunnel
of the Canal du Midi
. The field plots are of a triangular configuration due to the radial lines from the center.
The fact that the drain for Montady went through Malpas encouraged Pierre-Paul Riquet
, the designer of the Canal du Midi, that he could build a tunnel through the same hill for his canal.
The Montady farming area can be seen from the Oppidum d'Ensérune
.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
that is popularly said to be "constructed by the Visigoths" but was realised by monks during the second half of the 13th century, under authorization of the archbishop of Narbonne. The Étang de Montady is near Colombiers
Colombiers
Colombiers or Colombier is the name or part of the name of several communes in France and Switzerland.There is also Colombier in Canada, in the province of Quebec.-France:*Colombiers, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime département...
, midway between Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
and Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
, in the western department of Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, in southern France.
The area was drained by making radial ditches from a single center point out to the extremities. The water flows to this center point and is then drained through an underground culvert and through the Malpas hill and under the Malpas Tunnel
Malpas Tunnel
The Malpas tunnel was excavated in 1679 under the hill d'Ensérune in Hérault, allowing the passage of the Canal du Midi. It was Europe's first navigable canal tunnel and a monument to the determination of Pierre-Paul Riquet, the chief engineer. It is located in the commune of Nissan-lez-Ensérune...
of the Canal du Midi
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
. The field plots are of a triangular configuration due to the radial lines from the center.
The fact that the drain for Montady went through Malpas encouraged Pierre-Paul Riquet
Pierre-Paul Riquet
Pierre-Paul Riquet was the engineer and canal-builder responsible for the construction of the Canal du Midi.-Background:...
, the designer of the Canal du Midi, that he could build a tunnel through the same hill for his canal.
The Montady farming area can be seen from the Oppidum d'Ensérune
Oppidum d'Ensérune
The Oppidum d'Ensérune is an ancient hill-town near the village of Nissan-lez-Ensérune, France, located between Béziers and Narbonne close to the D609 and Canal du Midi....
.
External links
- French Wiki article, original source
- More about Montady