Port of Mauzé-sur-le-Mignon
About
In 1315, the Lord of Mauzé "had the land cut away" to create a port. In 1714, the King's engineer Claude Masse visited the port of Chaban and Mauzé, which was threatened with ruin. A canal project was examined in 1808 by Napoleon 1st. From 1843 to 45, the Canal du Mignon was built from the Bazoin lock to the port of Gueux (near Sazay), then extended from 1880 to 83 to Mauzé to link the town to the sea via the Sèvre Niortaise and enable goods to be transported by barge. Rapidly challenged by rail and then road, the largest port in the Venise Verte was soon abandoned. In 1996, it was rehabilitated as part of the Great Works of the Marais Poitevin, but remains inaccessible to boats, as the canal is currently navigable from Bazoin to just upstream of La Grève-s-le-Mignon.