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Origin and history

The Saint Andrew Gate, also known as the Langres Gate, is one of the four main gates of the Augustean enclosure of Augustustodunum (Autun), built in the first century under the reign of Augustus. It marked the start of the Roman way towards Langres (Andemantunnum) and was distinguished by its monumental architecture, combining central carriageways (4.09 m wide) and side pedestrian openings (1.94 m). Its ground floor, in oolithic limestone, supported a gallery of arcades serving as a round road, while two absidial towers flanked the building for the watch. Although its defensive role was debated, its aesthetic and symbolic character reflected the power of the city, protected by Rome.

The gate underwent partial reconstruction in ancient times, with the use of feldspathic sandstone replacing the original limestone, suggesting a major renovation whose exact date remains unknown. In the Middle Ages (as early as 1250), the North Tower was transformed into a church and then sold as a national property during the French Revolution. Repurchased by the State in 1844, it was restored by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who restored the damaged parts based on ancient sources, although the cover of the upper gallery was freely interpreted. Ranked a historic monument in 1846, the gate is now the best preserved in Autun, with its northern tower becoming a Protestant temple in 1945.

The enclosure of Augustostodunum, 6 km long, was pierced by four cardinal gates (Arroux to the north, Saint Andrew to the east, Rome to the south, Saint Andoche to the west), of which only the gates of Arroux and Saint Andrew remain significantly. The east-facing St Andrew's Gate was part of a complex long-distance network: two lanes perpendicular to the cardus maximus led to the west and east doors, without forming a classic decumanus. These developments underline the symbolic importance of the roads, reinforced by the richness of the city, the political and economic centre of the Roman Gaul. The materials used (arkosis for the bases, capitals inspired by the ion order) and the layout of the towers (flat side towards the city, apsidial towards the outside) bear witness to an architectural know-how intended to impress.

The debates among historians concern the real defensive function of the enclosure, some seeing it as a more symbolic than utilitarian work, intended to display the privileged status of Augustostodunum under imperial protection. The gate, with a height of 14,60 m, embodied this duality: both a point of control of the flows (vehicles, riders, pedestrians) and a monument celebrating the Romana pax. The restorations of the 19th century, although critical for their part of interpretation, allowed its preservation, making it a major witness of Roman urbanism in Gaul. Today owned by the commune, it remains a place of Protestant worship and a classified site, open to the visit.

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