Adam de Craponne was a French engineer.

Life

Born in 1526 in Salon-de-Provence

Salon-de-Provence

Salon-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is the location of an important air base.-History:Salon was a Gallo-Roman oppidum well positioned on the salt trade routes between Adriatic, Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, hence its name...

, between 1557 and 1558, Craponne built the channel bearing his name. The Canal de Craponne enabled irrigation of the desertic Crau

Crau

The Crau is the ancient confluence of the Durance and Rhône, and constitutes their vast flat alluvial fan.-Agriculture:The Crau is composed of two different parts:The dry Crau is in the south, and has been used as pasture from Roman times...

 with water coming from the Durance

Durance

The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...

. Craponne personally funded the project, with the help of private partners, such as Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...

.

He died of poisoning in Nantes in 1576.

External links

• Adam de Craponne, Smithsonian Institutions Libraries