Briare

Briare (sometimes called Briare -le- Canal ) is a municipality with 5735 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) in France. It is the administrative seat of the eponymous canton Briare Montargis Arrondissement in the Loiret in the Centre region. The city lies on the River Loire, at the mouth of the Canal de Briare is named after her.

History

The original Roman name was Brivodurum. Gradually developed into a small town that lived mainly from trading on the Loire River and the wine. Under Henry IV the idea of linking the rivers Loire and Seine by a ship canal was built. But not until 1642, under Louis XIII. the Canal de Briare completed, which resulted in Briare in the Loire. As the Loire River was not navigable by large commercial vessels because of its many shoals, the Loire Lateral Canal (Canal in the Loire ) was built and completed in 1838. But the river crossing the Loire at Briare was always dangerous and depending on the water flow. Finally, the famous canal bridge was designed to cross the Loire ( Pont- Canal ) by the engineer Léonce -Abel Mazoyer and built in cooperation with the firm of Gustave Eiffel and inaugurated in 1896. So were a positive development of channel shipping and trading town of Briare, no more obstacles.

Economy

Part of the agricultural land is used for growing grapes. The vineyards of the community associated with the protected appellation Coteaux du Giennois.
Mosaic generation
The Port
River tourism ( excursions, sports and houseboats )

Culture and sights

Structures

The church of Saint -Etienne, built in 1890-1895 in the Romano- Byzantine style, falls through the remarkable mosaic decorations on
The canal bridge over the Loire (length: 662.69 m), is a metal construction, designed by Léonce -Abel Mazoyer, opened in 1896.

Briare canal bridge overlooking the Loire and Briare

Briare canal bridge, looking towards Briare

Briare canal bridge, south portal