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Origin and history

The Cailhau gate, built between 1493 and 1496 in Bordeaux, replaced a 14th century medieval gate. It served as both a defensive door and a triumphal arch, commemorating Charles VIII's victory at the Battle of Fornoue (1495). Ornate with a statue of the king in white marble (replaced in 1880 after its destruction in 1793), it symbolized the royal entrance to the Palace of Umbria, seat of the Parliament of Bordeaux.

Located between the Puegue and Devèze rivers, the gate marked the main access from the port, before the existence of modern docks. Its name, calhau (caillou in gascon), comes from the adjacent paved quay, linked to the bourgeois family of Cailhau, influential in the 13th–14th centuries. The gentle slope towards the Garonne allowed the berthing of light boats, reflecting the port activity of the time.

Architecturally, the door combines defensive elements (mâchicoulis, murderers, harrows) and decorative elements (tourelles, flamboyant dais). It was rebuilt in the 18th century (enlargement of the bay by Charles Dardan) and restored between 1880 and 1890 by Charles Durand. In 1906, it housed the Museum of Old Bordeaux, created by the Archaeological Society, before being entrusted to the city in 1970.

The decorations include symbolic sculptures: two angels carrying a royal badge on the city side, and statues of Charles VIII, Cardinal D'Espinay and Saint John the Baptist on the river side. Chimera and disturbing characters adorn the angles, typical of medieval imagination. The limestone used, probably from Bourg or Roque-de-Thau, reaches 35 meters high with its roofs.

Ranked a historic monument in 1883, the Cailhau gate was restored (1960, 2010) and remains a symbol of Bordeaux heritage. Its history reflects the political transitions (duchy of Guyenne, Parliament) and urban (port development), while embodying the alliance between military office and royal prestige.

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