A new year under the sign of 340 years since the beginning of the construction of the Maintenon aqueduct
05 January 2026
The Mansart Foundation wishes you a wonderful year 2026! This year marks an exceptional anniversary: the 340 years of the construction of the aqueduct of Maintenon, an emblematic monument visible from the castle of Maintenon, the historic domain of the Fondation Mansart.
Designed to compete with the largest aqueducts in Europe, notably the Pont du Gard, the highest European aqueduct, the Maintenon aqueduct was ordered in 1685 by King Louis XIV. Its objective is ambitious: to supply water to the basins of the Palace of Versailles. The construction is entrusted to the famous Marshal Vauban, a renowned engineer, who draws inspiration from Byzantine arch architecture!
Nearly 30,000 men are mobilized for the construction, two-thirds of whom are soldiers. The epidemics and then the outbreak in 1688 of the War of the League of Augsburg led to the definitive cessation of work.
Initially planned to measure 17 kilometers long and reach 73 meters in height, the aqueduct will finally be completed only at 955 meters long for a height of 28.5 meters.
