Machine de Marly, Water pumping station in Bougival and Louveciennes, France
The Machine de Marly was a pumping station that lifted water from the Seine through multiple stages using fourteen large water wheels and over two hundred pumps. The system raised water to about 160 meters above the river and delivered between 1500 and 1800 cubic meters daily.
Work on the hydraulic system started in 1681 during the reign of Louis XIV, with engineers Arnold de Ville and Rennequin Sualem completing it in 1684. The original wooden structure operated for about 133 years before steam engines replaced it in 1817.
The facility showed the height of French engineering skill in the 1600s, making it possible to power the many fountains and water displays at Versailles. It became a symbol of what the kingdom could achieve through technical innovation.
The site is near the Seine bridge, making it easy to explore the locations of the former pumping installations. Today, mainly the Charles X pavilion and worker housing remain visible as physical remnants.
The original system worked entirely by water power, with no modern engines or external power sources, making it an engineering marvel for its time. The engineers solved difficult problems solely by cleverly using river flow and gravity.
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