Machine de Marly

The Machine de Marly (French pronunciation: [maʃin də maʁli]), also known as the Marly Machine or the Machine of Marly, was a large hydraulic system in Yvelines, France, built in 1684 to pump water from the river Seine and deliver it to the Palace of Versailles. As a monumental hydraulic system constructed in the late 17th century to pump water from the Seine River to the fountains and gardens of Versailles, a crucial feat of engineering for King Louis XIV's elaborate water displays.

It was the largest and most complex mechanical system of its time, powered by 14 large waterwheels turning over 250 pumps to lift water nearly 177 yards up a hill. Though its primary goal was to enable the extravagant water features of the royal estates, it became a symbol of Louis XIV's power — and a ultimately, a popular tourist attraction.