Porte Narbonnaise, Medieval entrance gate in Carcassonne, France
The Narbonne Gate is a medieval entrance within Carcassonne's fortified walls, featuring two thick towers flanking a central passage. The structure includes multiple levels with narrow corridors and defensive openings designed to control and monitor all who entered the city.
The gate was built in the late 13th century as part of the expansion and reinforcement of Carcassonne's defensive walls under French rule. Its construction reflects the military engineering practices of the period designed to withstand siege warfare.
The gate's role as a gateway into the fortified city shaped how people moved through this space for centuries, creating a natural meeting point between the outer and inner worlds. Today, walking through it connects visitors to the same passage that merchants, soldiers, and residents once used daily.
The gate can be visited during daytime hours and accessed from both the outer approach and the inner city side. Walking the fortress walls on either side provides the best views of its structure and helps visitors understand how it fits into the overall defensive system.
Hidden within the gate structure are underground chambers including water storage and storage rooms that sustained the city during sieges. These concealed spaces reveal how medieval planners prepared for extended periods of isolation and conflict.
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