SALINE ROYAL

Listed by UNESCO since 1982, the Saline Royale d'Arc et Senans is the masterpiece of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806), visionary architect of the Enlightenment. It's also a rare example in the history of industrial architecture.

Factory for the production of salt, the Saline Royale was created by Louis XV and built between 1775 and 1779, 10 years before the French Revolution. At that time, salt was used mainly for food preservation, manufacturing of glass and silverware, agriculture and medicine. The state levied on its sale a heavy unpopular tax, "la gabelle", which supplied much of the state coffers. The economic importance of salt was vital.