Porte du Peyrou

Porte du Peyrou. Image by Fritz Geller Grim 2.6.06. Image published under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 license

The Porte du Peyrou is one of Montpellier's most notable landmarks. It stands at the boundary between the Jardin du Peyrou and the historic centre of Montpellier.

It was built on the orders of Louis XIV in celebration of the expulsion of the Huguenots. Montpellier had been a Protestant stronghold during the French religious wars and previous French kings had tolerated Huguenot dissent.

Louis XIV, a staunch ally of the Pope, asserted Catholic supremacy by banishing all Protestants from France in 1685. 

The arch, a symbol of royal Catholic power, was designed by Charles Augustin-Daliver and completed in 1693.

The arch is decorated with a series of sculptural reliefs which glorify the reign of Louis XIV.

The first depicts the siege of Namur, a Dutch town captured by Louis XIV in 1692 and later recaptured by William of Orange.

The second shows Louis XIV as Hercules crowned by an allegorical representation of Victory.

The third celebrates the construction of the Canal du Midi which connects the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean.

The fourth commemorates the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1622. This edict, passed in 1598, had granted various rights to Protestants and was despised by many Catholics.

Pavilion du Peyrou. Image published under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, verison 1.2 or later

The Porte du Peyrou is located a short distance from the Pavilion du Peyrou, a splendid 18th century pavilion constructed above a reservoir supplied by the Aqueduct de Saint Clement.

This aqueduct, completed in 1772, brings water from the village of Saint Clement, some fourteen kilometres distant.

An impressive equestrian statue of Louis XIV creates a direct visual axis between the Porte du Peyrou and the Pavilion du Peyrou.

Image published under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, verison 1.2 or later

Image published under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, verison 1.2 or later

© 2007 LACT Limited. All rights reserved

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