Corinth Canal
Canal de Corinto
- Date
- 1881-1893 · confidence high
- Place
- Isthmus of Corinth, Corinthia, Greece
- Credited to
- István Türr and Béla Gerster (Franco-Hungarian company)
- Field
- Movement
What it is
A 6.3 km canal cut through solid rock joining the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf, avoiding the detour round the Peloponnese. It realised an idea already attempted by Periander, Julius Caesar and Nero.
The canal is too narrow for modern ships and is used mostly by yachts and small cruise ships; Nero's works (AD 67) were abandoned.
What it led to
- coasting traffic between the Adriatic and the Aegean
- limited-beam passage
- a precedent for the great canals of Suez and Panama