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Origin and history

The Gate of the Cordeliers de Loches is an ancient gate pierced in the eastern part of the medieval enclosure of the lower town, on the bank of a foot of Indre. It controlled the passage of the old road of Spain and owes its name to its proximity to the former convent of Cordeliers, located outside the enclosure. Built in the 15th century, its frame was dated by dendrochronology of the late 1490s, making it the latest of the medieval gates of Loches still standing.

The door is located at the corner of the Quai de la Filature and Rue des Ponts, near the Loches mill. Its architecture includes a quadrangular massif with a carretier door in full hanger, a pedestrian crossing, and two drawbridges protecting access. A guard room on the first floor allowed access to the round road, while the second floor, with corbelled turrets and mâchicoulis, was served by a screw staircase.

Ranked a historic monument in 1886, the gate now houses the headquarters of the association of friends of the Lochois country. Its flamboyant Gothic style is visible in architectural details, such as the window with meneau and tympanum decorated with slate covered attic. It bears witness to the strategic importance of Loches in the Middle Ages, a city defended by a towered enclosure and pierced by four doors, only two of which remain.

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