The Role of Contractors in Building Eighteenth-Century Languedoc Bridgework The Case of Jean Chauvet in Building the Lavaur Bridge (Tarn, 1773–1782)

In the eighteenth century, the states of Languedoc had an ambitious public works policy. This article highlights the actions and the real contribution of the contractor Jean Chauvet in the construction of the Lavaur Bridge (Tarn) by drawing upon numerous unpublished documents that he compiled and devised. Far from being a simple executor, he was able to design a complex structure, showing a technical intelligence essential for the construction of large works.