The great engineer Paul Riquet designed the Canal du Midi. Initially, Riquet planned to canalise the Fresquel to make his new waterway, but in the end a ‘straight through’ route was proposed and accepted. The problem with this was that it didn’t run through the city. Riquet negotiated with Justice Mage, but it was decided that the work involved to bring the canal into the city, along with the money this required, was not justified, and so in 1670 the construction of the Canal du Midi was left hanging.
The authorities had no idea of the potential positive impact the canal would have, initially for transport and trade and eventually for lovers of hotel barge holidays, so when finally the canal was completed in 1681, it passed 2 kilometres from Carcassonne.