ITR4755509: The bust of Riquet in the archives of the Canal du Midi in Toulouse. At 60, Pierre Paul Riquet embarks on an extraordinary adventure, connecting the Garonne to the Mediterranean with the technical and topographical means of the 18th century, under Louis XIV. The Midi Canal will take 15 years of work to dig and feed a 240 km long artificial stream. Photography 2002 / Bridgeman Images