Porte Notre-Dame, Medieval gate in Pernes-les-Fontaines, France.
Porte Notre-Dame is a Renaissance city gate built in 1548, with two round towers flanking a central arch. The towers have arrow slits and gun ports, and the outer face is preceded by a three-arch bridge over the Nesque. A small chapel, Notre-Dame-des-Grâces, sits on the bridge pier between the second and third arches.
The gate was built in 1548, and the chapel Notre-Dame-des-Grâces in 1510. In 1944 German troops destroyed both during their retreat; they were restored in 1951. The gate, the bridge before it and the chapel with its covered awning have been classified as monuments historiques since 4 October 1915.
The Notre-Dame-des-Graces Chapel on the bridge before the gate shows where residents have practiced their religious traditions for centuries. This small chapel with its plain style remains part of the daily route when entering the town.
The gate stands at the entrance to the historical center, directly across from the Notre-Dame de Nazareth church, making it easy to explore the old streets. The area is fully accessible on foot and easy to locate from outside.
On the town side, the gate has a wide segmental arch and two gargoyles carved as cannons, while the outer face carries a coat of arms above the arch. The round towers are pierced with many gun ports for small artillery and topped by machicolations. The 1738 historian Giberti called the towers "made in lamp-tail form".
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