Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Guillaume Gate, located in Chartres in the department of Eure-et-Loir, was originally built at the end of the 12th century as one of the entrances to the medieval enclosure of the city. She was named after Guillaume de Ferrières, vidame de Chartres. At the beginning of the 15th century (circa 1414-1415), it was entirely rebuilt to resist the progress of artillery, with two towers protecting access. A pentagonal barbacan, with a dormant bridge and canonary archer, was added in the mid-15th century to strengthen its defence.

Over the centuries, the door lost its military role: by the end of the 16th century, houses were built there, and a tannery workshop was installed there in the 17th century. In 1732, masonry bridges replaced the old accesses, and the eastern courtine was transformed into a decorative wall. Despite a fire in 1856 and architectural changes (such as the destruction of the round tower in 1850), the gate was classified as a historic monument in 1911 under the erroneous name of Porte Saint-Guillaume.

The William Gate was destroyed by the retired German army on the night of 15-16 August 1944. Although disappeared, it remains a testimony studied during archaeological excavations conducted between 2010 and 2014 by the city of Chartres. These campaigns helped to better understand its complex architecture, marked by successive adaptations to defence and urban needs, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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