Souvenir Medal Monnaie de Paris 2012 - Canal des Moines (19)

The Canal des Moines is an irrigation canal with a total length of 1,700 meters located in Aubazines, Corrèze, constructed by the Cistercian monks of the Obazine Abbey in the 12th century. They intended to supply water to their monastery for purposes such as hygiene, mills, workshops, and garden irrigation. The canal is remarkable for its engineering, characterized by a consistent slope and the monks' skillful work in retaining walls and excavating the rock in the Coiroux Valley. This showcases the monks' expertise in water management and canal construction.