Barrage Vauban

The Barrage Vauban, or Vauban Dam, is a bridge, weir, and defensive work erected in the 17th century on the River Ill in the city of Strasbourg in France. It was constructed from 1686 to 1690 in pink Vosges sandstone by the French Engineer Jacques Tarade according to plans by Vauban. The principal defensive function of the barrage was to enable, in the event of an attack, the raising of the level of the River Ill and thus the flooding of all the lands south of the city, making them impassable to the enemy. Today, it serves to display sculptures and has a viewing terrace on its roof, with views of the earlier Ponts Couverts bridges and Petite France quarter. The barrage has 13 arches and is 120 meters in length. Within the structure, an enclosed corridor links the two banks, and a lapidarium serves to display ancient plaster casts and copies of statues and gargoyles from Strasbourg Cathedral and Palais Rohan