Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses
Construction of the sluice gates with the 6 locks of Briare canal at Rogny began under Henri IV in 1605, but was not finished until 1642. Its function was to connect the Loire River and the Seine River. This was a very large technical structure for its time and continued in use until 1887. The traffic on the Briare canal is now carried by six more widely spaced locks, leading to a considerable time-saving.
The locks (initially six in number with a seventh added later) covered a total length of 35 meters and were 5.15 meters wide. The locks were built adjacent to each other, which led to considerable cost savings as the number of gates was halved. In addition, the structure gained in strength as the locks supported each other, as is shown by its current state of conservation. Of course, two boats could not pass each other, but in the 17th century they very rarely had to as 90% of the boats were heading for Paris where they were broken up, mostly for firewood. This route was so well chosen that it was retained even when the canal was rehabilitated in 1882 after its return to State ownership. (Source: info boards at the sluice gates, June 2015)
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