Glanum Dam

About

Glanum Dam was an ancient dam located in Glanum, city of the Roman Empire, today in the commune of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, department of Bouches-du-Rhône in France. Destroyed during the construction of a modern building in 1891 (the Peiròu Dam), this dam which regulated the water of a Gaudre, served to supply the inhabitants with water but also the aqueduct of the same name used to irrigate the crops of the Auge valley in the Alpilles. Described by Esprit Calvet, the Glanum Dam appears to be the first known vault dam.

Unlike the modern structure, the water outlet at the original dam was 6 metres lower. The natural concavity of the tank walls allowing this ingenious solution.