Cyrano de BergeracSavinien de Cyrano de Bergerac (ˌsɪrənoʊ_də_ˈbɜːrʒəræk,_-_ˈbɛər- , savinjɛ̃ d(ə) siʁano d(ə) bɛʁʒəʁak; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th century. Today, he is best known as the inspiration for Edmond Rostand's most noted drama, Cyrano de Bergerac (1897), which, although it includes elements of his life, also contains invention and myth.
Canal du MidiThe Canal du Midi (kanal dy midi; Canal del Miègjorn ka'nal del mjɛdˈd͡ʒuɾ) is a long canal in Southern France (le Midi). Originally named the Canal Royal en Languedoc (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to Canal du Midi in 1789, the canal is considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century. The canal connects the Garonne to the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean and, along with the long Canal de Garonne, forms the Canal des Deux Mers, joining the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
