Porte Saint-Denis

The Porte Saint-Denis stands as a massive triumphal arch of honey-colored limestone, centered right in the middle of the street. It was commissioned by Louis the Fourteenth to celebrate his victories along the Rhine. The sculptor Michel Anguier carved the panels on its base, showing scenes of the king conquering local fortresses. During the French Revolution, the allegorical figures representing defeated provinces were defaced to remove royal symbols, though the stone soldiers remain there today, eternally guarding the passage.