Porte Saint-Denis
Porte Saint-Denis | |
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General information | |
Type | Triumphal arch |
Location | 10th arrondissement, Paris, France |
Coordinates | 48°52′11″N 2°21′09.49″E / 48.86972°N 2.3526361°E |
Construction started | 1672 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | François Blondel |
The Porte Saint-Denis (English: St. Denis Gate) is a
History
The Porte Saint-Denis was originally a gateway through the Wall of Charles V that was built between 1356 and 1383 to protect the Right Bank of Paris. The medieval fortification had two gates and was surmounted with four towers. Additional portcullises defended the outer gate along with a drawbridge and rock-cut ditch. However, with the advent of gunpowder and the development of cannons and bombards, the walls were eventually partly torn down in the 1640s to make way for the larger and more fortified Louis XIII Wall. In the 1670s, the remaining walls of Charles V were entirely demolished when Paris spread beyond the confines of its medieval boundaries.
To replace the old gateway of Porte Saint-Denis,
A monument defining the official art of its epoque, the Porte Saint-Denis provided the subject of the engraved frontispiece to Blondel's influential Cours d'architecture, 1698.[1] It was restored in 1988.
The Porte Saint-Denis was the first of four triumphal arches to be built in Paris. The three others are the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (1806-1808), Porte Saint-Martin (1674), and Arc de Triomphe (1836).
Description
The Porte Saint-Denis is a triumphal arch inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome. The monument is 24.65 m (80.9 ft) high, 25 m (82 ft) wide, and 5 m (16 ft) deep. The arch itself is 15.35 m (50.4 ft) high in the center and 8 m (26 ft) across.
The main arch is flanked by
Gallery
The arch is decorated with a variety of sculptures and friezes
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Intrados
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South face: passage of the Rhine
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North face : capture of Maastricht
Access
Located near the Strasbourg - Saint-Denis .
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See also
Notes
External links
- Insecula - Porte Saint-Denis (in French)