Porte de Paris (Paris Gate), Lille

King Louis IV entered the city on August 28, 1667. He passed through the Gate of the Sick and received the keys to the city from Lille’s magistrates. Although Lille’s incorporation into France was not formally confirmed until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668, Louis IV already had plans for the city and its old southern gateway.

Several years later, Louis IV commissioned engineer and architect Simon Vollant to construct the Paris Gate. Built between 1685 and 1692, it was conceived as a monument celebrating Louis XIV’s conquest of Lille. The triumphal structure was erected opposite a city-side guardhouse. Around 1860, the guardhouse was demolished during the dismantling of Lille’s fortifications, while Vollant’s gate was preserved.

Between 1888 and 1895, the Paris Gate was redeveloped by architect Louis-Marie Cordonnier. He added a new façade on the city side and redesigned the surrounding area as the circular Place Simon-Vollant. Consequently, the monument now has two noticeably different façades: Vollant’s 17th-century ceremonial entrance and Cordonnier’s 19th-century city-facing addition.

As you face the original outer façade and look northwest, toward the city, Mars, the god of war, stands on the left, while Hercules, a symbol of strength, appears on the right. At the summit, two winged figures of Fame sound their trumpets, while Victory raises a crown above a medallion of Louis XIV. At ground level, a former drawbridge leads into a vaulted passage that opens toward the city.