When it was built in 1620, Lille still belonged to the Spanish Netherlands. The gate was part of a new enclosure built after a recent extension (1617-1621), which incorporated 30 new hectares and pushed the ramparts northwards. The crenellated cornice and the grooves in which the drawbridge arms were housed are still reminders of the gate's defensive vocation.
It was here, in 1792, that the Austrian major arrived bearing the Duke of Saxe-Teschen's famous ultimatum summoning the besieged town to surrender. The two side passages were built at the end of the 19th century to accommodate the tramway. To the left of the gate, the "Old Men's House" dates from 1624.
It was here, in 1792, that the Austrian major arrived bearing the Duke of Saxe-Teschen's famous ultimatum summoning the besieged town to surrender. The two side passages were built at the end of the 19th century to accommodate the tramway. To the left of the gate, the "Old Men's House" dates from 1624.
