DOMAINE DE BONREPOS-RIQUET

In 1652, Pierre-Paul Riquet, enriched by his position as sous-fermier Général des Gabelles du Languedoc, acquired the seigneury of Bonrepos. He had to use all his negotiating skills to obtain from the Consuls "full and perpetual" ownership of the building, even though the fort was in disrepair, and undertook to restore it to a state of defense and to accommodate the local population in the event of a threat. In the Garenne valley, adjacent to his home and 29 hectares of parkland, Riquet laid out his "bassins d'essais". It was around this experimental complex, extending over almost 2 hectares, that Riquet studied the life-size water supply for his future Canal du Midi over a period of ten years. The three tiered basins (discharge basin, reservoir basin, canal basin), built of earth and brickwork, function like communicating vessels. The basins are fed by two gutters and seasonal water. Pierre-Paul Riquet used this hydraulic structure, of exceptional dimensions for its time, to conceptualize his Canal du Midi project. From the observations of the self-taught experimenter to the bold strokes of the businessman, the Domaine de Bonrepos and its test basins offer a glimpse of Pierre-Paul Riquet in his early days. A fascinating yet little-known dive into the "archaeology" of the pharaonic Canal du Midi project. New for 2023: Following the restoration of the grotte de fraicheur (2020 - Tranche I), the orangery and its outbuildings are now getting a facelift following a major restoration and refurbishment program. Recently inaugurated, the building complex now houses a multi-purpose reception area (for exhibitions, seminars and receptions) in this magnificent setting.