Bazacle

The Bazacle is a structure in and on the banks of the River Garonne in the French city of Toulouse.

In 1190, with the permission of comte Raymond V of Toulouse, a sort of dam, the chaussée, and adjacent mills were built.

These mills were cited by Rabelais in the sixteenth century as being the most powerful in the world.

The shares of this society (the Société des Moulins du Bazacle, or Bazacle Milling Company) came to be traded on the open market in Toulouse and their value fluctuated according to the profitability of the mills.

[1][2] A hydroelectric power station was built in 1890 on the same spot to supply Toulouse with electricity.