The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (, ) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Freycinet gauge, and its Walloon portion is long. It runs from Charleroi, Wallonia in the south to Brussels in the north. It is part of a north-south axis of water transport in Belgium, whereby the north of France (via the Canal du Centre) including Lille and Dunkirk and important waterways in the south of Belgium including the Sambre valley and sillon industriel are linked to the port of Antwerp in the north, via the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal which meets the Brussels–Charleroi Canal at the Sainctelette area. The Ronquières inclined plane is the most remarkable feature of the canal. History Early proposals The idea of a waterway to serve the cities of Hainaut, linking them ultimately with Antwerp, was first put forward during the reign of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (1396–1467). In 1436, an edict authorised the modification and deepening of the Senne River, though the project turned out to be more expensive than previously thought. The city of Mechelen, the sole city allowed to tax water transport on the Senne, protested extensively at the prospect of the construction of a parallel canal, and the project was abandoned. During the 16th century, the prospect of a canal was renewed. In 1531, Charles V authorised the construction of a canal linking Charleroi and Willebroek, though work did not begin immediately. It was not until 1550 that Mary of Habsburg, Governor of the Netherlands, finally ordered work to begin. When work was finished in 1561, the canal linked Brussels to the Scheldt at Willebroek, though it did not continue south past Brussels. As part of France from 1795 to 1815, proposals to build the canal were hampered by Napoleon's focus on waging expansionist wars. Work begins During the industrial revolution, coal saw a tremendous rise in economic importance. The Sambre and Marne valleys are quite rich in coal, and during the reign of William I of the Netherlands (1813–1840), concrete plans to extend the canal were at last made. The project was undertaken by A.J. Barthélemy, member of the lower chamber of the States-General of the Netherlands and adviser to the regent in Brussels. He proposed inclined planes be used instead of locks, but his idea was ahead of its time.