Medieval gateway built in the Middle Ages. It is surmounted by a building known as the Tour Sarrasine. This is one of the square towers that once lined the rampart behind which the town was enclosed.
This name owes nothing to the Moors who occupied the Var in the 10th century. A metal portcullis, known as a "sarrasine", closed the gate every evening in the Middle Ages, hence its name.
This is the town's main gate, and is also known as the Porte des Alpes, as the route from it leads northwards.
It was extensively rebuilt in later centuries, particularly in the 17th century, a few decades after the Wars of Religion that affected the town in 1574. The walls were doubled, and the town and king's coat of arms were affixed. An elm tree was planted in the square in front of it.
Two wooden poles supported it. The grooves in the walls still bear witness to this, as do the hinges that remain in the building. To the left, a door, now walled in, provided access to the steps leading into the building.
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