The village of Ventabren is home to the world's largest stone aqueduct, l'aqueduc de Roquefavour, a UNESCO world heritage site.
Perched on a hill near Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, Ventabren overlooks the valley and Etang de Berre.
This authentic village, listed as a picturesque site in the Bouches du Rhône since 1971, is home to numerous buildings and monuments, including the Roquefavour aqueduct and the remains of the Château de la Reine Jeanne...
The Roquefavour aqueduct is an impressive 83 meters high and almost 400 meters long (compared with 47 meters high and 266 meters long for the Pont du Gard), allowing water to flow from the Durance to Marseille. It has 65 arches and 15 arcades.
Built between 1841, when the first stone was laid, and 1847 by Swiss engineer William Fraisse, at the request of Maximin de Consolat, mayor of Marseille, it was designed to supply the city with water to withstand droughts. In doing so, he saved the people of Marseille from cholera.
Nearly 5,000 workers, including 300 stonemasons, took part in the three-storey construction.
Today, this incredible structure of three rows of arches is still in operation, and after emergency work undertaken in 2008 to purge the arches, a major renovation project began in 2020 to preserve the building.
Supported by the Métropole, restoration work will put an end to the structural disorders affecting the building, stemming the natural deterioration of the stones and protecting the decks from runoff. The 18 million euro project is scheduled for completion in 2024.
Mairie de Ventabren
17, Grande rue,
13122 Ventabren
Tél. : 04 42 28 80 14
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