Porte Saint-Denis

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Porte Saint-Denis (1908).

Porte Saint-Denis (2008).

The Porte Saint-Denis is a Parisian monument located at the site of one of the gates of the now-destroyed fortifications of Paris. It is located at the crossing of Rue Saint-Denis, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis and the grands boulevards Boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle and Boulevard Saint-Denis.

1 History
2 Description
- 2.1 Proportions and dimensions
3 Access
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

The Porte Saint-Denis was designed by architect François Blondel and the sculptor Michel Anguier at the order of Louis XIV in honor of his victories on the Rhine and in Franche-Comté. Built in 1672, it replaced a medieval gate in the city walls built by Charles V. It was restored in 1988.

[edit] Description

The Porte Saint-Denis is a triumphal arch inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome. It is pierced by a large central arch and two much smaller flanking arches in the pedestal. Above the side arches are obelisk-shaped sculptural groups of trophies. Above the main arch, the southern face carries a sculptural group by Anguier of "The Passage of the Rhine", while the north face carries allegroical figures of the Rhine and Holland. The entablature bears the inscription "LUDOVICO MAGNO".

[edit] Proportions and dimensions

The arch is 24.65 meters high, 25 meters wide, and five meters deep. The arch is 15.35 meters high at the center and eight meters wide. The small arches are three meters high and 1.7 meters wide.