Technology
The ancient Romans also had a complex system of aqueducts, which were used to transport water across long distances. The first Roman aqueduct was built in 312 BCE. The eleventh and final ancient Roman aqueduct was built in 226 CE. Put together, the Roman aqueducts extended over 450 kilometers, but less than seventy kilometers of this was above ground and supported by arches.
Hers Aqueduct
The Hers Aqueduct (, also "Aqueduc des Voûtes") is one of several aqueducts, or water bridges, created for the Canal du Midi. It crosses the river Hers-Mort near the village of Renneville, south of Villefranche-de-Lauragais. The structure was first built in 1688-1690, but the present structure is the result of modifications by Jean-Polycarpe Maguès in 1806, chief engineer on the Canal du Midi. It has been listed since 1998 as a "monument historique" by the French Ministry of Culture.