Porte Saint-Denis, a triumphal arch for Louis XIV
The Porte Saint-Denis is located on the Grands Boulevards, at the intersection of Rue Saint-Denis with Boulevard Saint-Denis and Boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle.
Often mistakenly identified as an old fortified gate, it is in fact one of two triumphal arches commissioned by Louis XIV to commemorate his victories on the Rhine and in Franche-Comté.
The Sun King entrusted the architect Blondel with overseeing its construction in 1672. The architecture, inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome, is more elaborate than that of its neighbour, the Porte Saint-Martin.
This triumphal arch is also very imposing. It is indeed 25 metres high and 25 metres wide, with its central arch measuring 15 metres high by 8 metres wide, while the side arches reach over 3 metres in height and nearly 2 metres in width!
Porte Saint-Denis South Facade
Michel Anguier sculpted the central bas-relief depicting the Crossing of the Rhine at Tholus.
The two allegorical figures seated at the base of each obelisk, on either side of the central arch, symbolise the United Provinces: Holland is represented by a vanquished woman, and the Rhine by a vanquished man.
The base of the arch bears the following Latin inscription:
“QUOD DIEBUS VIX SEXAGINTA RHENUM WAHALIM MOSAM ISALAM SUPERAVIT SVBEGIT PROVINCIAS TRES CEPIT URBES MUNITAS QUADRAGINTA”
“Louis the Great crossed the Rhine, the Waal, the Meuse, and the IJssel; he conquered three provinces and captured forty strongholds in less than sixty days.”
Porte saint-Denis North facade
The north façade commemorates the capture of Maastricht and bears the following engraved Latin inscription:
“QUOD TRAIECTUM AD MOSAM XIII DIEBUS CEPIT”
“Louis XIV seized Maastricht in thirteen days. Ludovico magno – To Louis the Great” is engraved at the top of the monument.
A marble plaque, bearing the Latin inscription of the date of construction of the Porte Saint-Denis, adorns the base of each façade:
“PREFECTUS ET AEDILES PONI CC ANNO DOMINI M D C LXXII”
The Porte Saint-Denis was listed as a historical monument in 1862 and underwent a complete restoration in 1988.
Directions: 10th district
Metro: Strasbourg-Saint-Denis
Coordinates: Lat 48.869805 – Long 2.352695
