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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Porte Martille is an old fortified gate located in the commune of Salers, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is one of the ramparts built in the 15th century, after King Charles VII authorized the inhabitants to strengthen the city in 1428. This authorization was granted despite opposition from local barons, who saw it as an infringement of their feudal rights. Today, the Martille Gate and the Belfry Gate are the only preserved remains of these ramparts, the other gates having been demolished.

The Martille gate is distinguished by its rectangular basalt structure, typical of the region, and rises on two floors. It is surmounted by a pyramidal roof in stone slabs. The passage, in sharp arch, is covered with a cradle vault, and traces of an ancient blazoning of the city, now destroyed, are visible above the arch. Originally, two wooden doors closed the work, but they disappeared. The gate was listed as historic monuments by order of December 4, 1925, recognizing its heritage value.

The construction of the Martille Gate is part of a context of tension between the royal power, which sought to strengthen the autonomy of the cities, and the local lords, attached to their feudal privileges. Salers, a strategic city in Haute-Auvergne, received this royal authorization to protect himself, reflecting the political and military dynamics of the time. The gate, with its robust architecture and defensive details, illustrates the fortification techniques used at the end of the Middle Ages in this volcanic region.

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