Nicolas Bachelier
Encyclopedia
Nicolas Bachelier was a French surveyor, architect
, and mason.
In 1539, Bachelier and his colleague Arnaud Casanove, who described themselves as expert levelers, proposed a survey for a canal from Toulouse
to Carcassonne
to Francis I
. Francis I
had previously discussed the possibility of such a canal with Leonardo da Vinci
. They also proposed that barges could either float down the Garonne River
to Bordeaux
or could traverse a canal parallel to the river. Francis I
approved their plans which included a lock-free canal of variable depth. These plans proved to be inaccurate and could not be executed. In 1598, Henri IV re-examined the plans, but nothing was done until Pierre Paul Riquet began the successful endeavor of the Canal du Midi
in 1662.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, and mason.
In 1539, Bachelier and his colleague Arnaud Casanove, who described themselves as expert levelers, proposed a survey for a canal from Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
to Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
to Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
. Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
had previously discussed the possibility of such a canal with Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. They also proposed that barges could either float down the Garonne River
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
or could traverse a canal parallel to the river. Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
approved their plans which included a lock-free canal of variable depth. These plans proved to be inaccurate and could not be executed. In 1598, Henri IV re-examined the plans, but nothing was done until Pierre Paul Riquet began the successful endeavor of the Canal du Midi
Canal du Midi
The is a long canal in Southern France . The canal connects the Garonne River to the on the Mediterranean and along with the Canal de Garonne forms the Canal des Deux Mers joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The canal runs from the city of Toulouse down to the Étang de Thau...
in 1662.