Porte d'Amont

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

This gate is the only monumental witness to the ancient fortifications of the town, the ramparts subsisting in a residual state. It would date back to the 14th century, according to the archaism of its defensive arrangements (arrow slits, walls of weak thickness, absence of drawbridge). The structure was remodelled at the beginning of the 17th century for public purposes. Its fortified character was disfigured from this date onwards, notably by the opening of large casements and perhaps the lowering of superstructures. Its appearance was further modified recently, by the creation of a pedestrian passage. The gate defended the entrance to town towards the Blois road. It is of rectangular plan, fitted with a passage between two chambers for shooting or guard duty of likewise rectangular form. A building at right angles flanks it to the south-east on the side of the street. The ground floor is pierced by a carriage gate in a basket-handle arch flanked by a pedestrian gate. The central mullion of the rear elevation is surmounted, at roof level, by an off-centre bell turret, allowing one to think that it is contemporary with the redistribution of the 17th century. The wing at right angles retains, on the first floor, a door covered with a segmental arch allowing communication with the wall-walk.