Porte de Pantin de Paris

The Porte de Pantin occupies the space where the old Thiers wall once ringed Paris. A massive bronze sculpture called Rythmes by Jean Ipoustéguy stands near the entrance to the Parc de la Villette. It depicts a figure struggling to emerge from solid rock. The gate served as a primary customs checkpoint for goods entering the city from the north. Today, the location marks the transition between the dense residential streets of the nineteenth arrondissement and the open expanse of the park.