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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The gate of la Monnaie was built to meet a practical need: the ramparts of Bordeaux isolated the inhabitants located between the gate of La Grave and the port Sainte-Croix. On the proposal of Intendant Tourny, the city's jurats ordered its creation on 15 July 1752. The works, led by the architect entrepreneur Jean Alary according to the plans of André Portier, began on 19 January 1758 and ended on 25 July 1759. His name comes from the currency workshop, then moved nearby.

The building adopts a form of triumphal arch, more modest and sober than other Bordeaux doors. Architecturally, it consists of two stone pedestals framing an arched opening, surmounted by a cornice supported by modillons. Inside, a second, low arch fits into the narrower, narrower traps. The gate was classified as a historic monument by order of 12 April 1965, recognizing its heritage value.

The adjacent street, originally named rue Anglaise (or rue des Arlots), took the name of rue de la Monnaie after the door was built. The spelling of the monument evolved over time: Monnoye Gate became the Monnoie Gate, then the Mint Gate. Today, the currency workshop moved to Pessac, but the door remains a testimony of Bordeaux's urban and economic history.

The gate is part of a wider set of city walls and gates, illustrating the transformations of Bordeaux in the 18th century. Its strategic location, between the stone bridge and the Saint-Jean Bridge, made it a key crossing point for exchanges between the city and the river. The sobriety of its architecture contrasts with the fascist of other Bordeaux monuments of the same period, perhaps reflecting a more utilitarian than symbolic function.

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