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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The gate of Ardon, located in Laon in the Hauts-de-France, is a fortified entrance to the city's ramparts, whose current structure dates mainly from the fourteenth century. It is attested from the tenth century, but its major reconstruction took place in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. This double door consisted of a châtelet equipped with a harrow, an assumer and vantals (now destroyed), as well as a missing barbacan. Its historic name, royal door or royal door, comes from its proximity to the former Royal Palace of Laon.

In 1741, a new decorated door was added in front of the medieval building, carved by Charles Hottin. It had pillars surmounted by lions and arms from France, but was destroyed in 1858 when the Ardon ramp was built. Under the door, a fountain and washhouses, covered in the 19th century, still remain. Ranked a historic monument in 1909, the Ardon Gate illustrates the evolution of urban fortifications, between medieval heritage and modern transformations.

The door is inserted into a wider defensive complex, extended east by the midday rampart and the Couloire promenade. Marks of stone tailors, once visible, disappeared during the 19th century restorations. This monument also reflects the successive adaptations of Laon, a strategic city from the Middle Ages, where the ramparts played a key role in urban protection and organization.

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