The town of Aigues-Mortes has a salt-producing vocation that goes back to Antiquity, around the 4th century BC. The Roman engineer Peccius was later responsible for organizing the salt production in the region at the beginning of the Christian era. At the end of the 12th century, seventeen small saltworks belonging to several owners were operated near Aigues-Mortes. After the floods of 1842, the owners joined forces with a merchant from Montpellier to create the Salin d'Aigues-Mortes in 1856. Today, it extends over 11 miles (18 km) long from north to south and 8 miles (13 km) wide from east to west. This vast salt marsh is crossed by more than 211 miles (340 km) of roads and paths over 19,770 acres (8,000 ha), an area equivalent to the size of the city of Paris. Featured: Alain Barthelot