Canal Saint Martin

Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the construction of the Canal Saint-Martin in eighteen hundred and two to solve a desperate public health crisis. Paris relied on the polluted waters of the Seine and unreliable wells, which fueled frequent outbreaks of cholera and dysentery. To combat this, he commissioned an artificial waterway to bring fresh, clean water from the Ourcq River directly into the heart of the capital. The project was unique in its financing, as it was funded by a special tax levied on wine.