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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Gayolle gate is an old fortified gate located in the old town of Boulogne-sur-Mer, in the department of Pas-de-Calais (Hauts-de-France). Built between 1227 and 1231 by Philippe Hurepel de Clermont, Count of Boulogne, it was an integral part of the medieval walls of the city. Its typically philippian architecture is characterized by two massive U-shaped towers surrounding a vaulted passage in broken arch, pierced for defense.

The name Gayolle comes from the local gaïole patois (geôles), because the tower served as a prison between 1800 and 1850. The gate was one of the four entrances to the fortified city, located southeast of the ramparts quadrilateral. An annex building, built in 1689 to house the chief of military engineering, was rebuilt in 1743 and 1872, before being destroyed in 1956 after damage suffered during the Second World War (1940).

Ranked a historic monument since 1905, the Gayolle Gate illustrates the defensive and urban evolution of Boulogne-sur-Mer. A pedestrian crossing was built there in 1941 according to the plans of the architect Drobek. Today, it bears witness to both the medieval heritage of the city and its subsequent adaptations, notably under the Old Regime and in the 19th century.

The property of the gate belongs to the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Only the facades of the two towers are protected by the 1905 classification, excluding interiors. Its exact address, 4 Rue Saint-Martin, the square in the historic heart of the city, close to the other remains of the old ramparts.

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