Bazacle

The Bazacle in the French city of Toulouse is nowadays a tourist site on the banks of the River Garonne.

It originated as an immemorial ford across the river Garonne, used from the 12th century onwards. The name "bazacle" comes from the Latin word "vadaculum", meaning "little ford". The first bridge across the Garonne was built here, where the water was shallowest.

In 1190, with the permission of comte Raymond V of Toulouse, a sort of dam, the "chausée", and adjacent mills were built. These mills were cited by Rabelais in the sixteenth century as being the most powerful in the world.

The original undertaking was underwritten by a group of local "seigneurs", who shared the profits according to the number of shares they possessed. As these shares came to be traded on the open market in Toulouse, their value fluctuating according to the profitability of the mills, one of Europe's earliest joint-stock companies came into existence.

A hydroelectric power station was built in 1890 on the same spot to supply Toulouse with electricity. In 1946, Électricité de France bought the plant. Both ancient and modern turbines can be viewed in working state to this day. There is a fish ladder in the river, allowing fish to swim through.