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Origin and history

The Saint-Vincent Gate is an opening pierced between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century in the walls of Vannes, Brittany. Originally named the Kraër-Calmont Gate, it served as a link between the port and the closed city, replacing the fortifications of the 14th and 16th centuries. His first bridge, built between 1620 and 1624 by Jean Bugeau, was later replaced by Place Gambetta, a semi-circular esplanade.

Renamed "Porte Saint-Vincent" in homage to preacher Vincent Ferrier (died at Vannes in 1419), she adopted a classic style with columns and niches in the middle of the hanger. During the Fronde, it was temporarily obstructed. Damaged by the tides in the 18th century, it was repaired in 1727, and then completely taken over in 1747 by engineer Duchemin, who kept the original facade but removed the roof and upper chamber.

In 1891, a statue of Saint Vincent Ferrier and the weapons of the city, carved in granite, were added to the central niche. The original statue of 1624, replaced during the Revolution by a figure of no-culotte, disappeared. A local legend claims that if the statue's hand is lowered, Vannes will be swallowed. Ranked a historic monument in 1928 with ramparts, the gate symbolizes the maritime and religious history of the city.

Architecturally, the door consists of three granite spans, with a central carriageway door flanked by two pedestrian crossings. The second level features side niches surrounding the city's weapons, while the third level houses a mid-level niche decorated with volutes. This monument illustrates the urban and defensive evolution of Vannes, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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