Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Porte Notre-Dame de Pernes-les-Fontaines is part of the fortified enclosure of the city, whose origins date back to the first century, with major reconstructions in the Middle Ages (especially in 1320 under the Comtat Venaissin). This gate, located north of the ramparts, was originally built in 1548 to connect the city to Carpentras and the church of Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth. It opens on an external bridge surmounted by the chapel Notre-Dame-des-Grâces (1510), former seat of the Brotherhood of Masons, and gives access to the halls on the inside. The ensemble (gate, bridge, chapel) has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1915.

In the 3rd quarter of the 19th century, the building was distinguished by its interior religious decoration, made in 1875 by the painter Charles Barbantan. The latter, a specialist in sacred decorations, unfolds a coherent work, reflecting the techniques and themes in vogue among the sponsors of the time. The monument thus illustrates a superimposition of periods: medieval structure redesigned and embellished with the modern era, then enriched with artistic elements of the nineteenth century.

The door owes its name to its proximity to the chapel Notre-Dame-des-Grâces, built a century earlier (1510) and linked to local devotion. Its role was both defensive (integrated with the ramparts) and symbolic, marking the northern entrance of the city to places of worship and major commercial routes. Today, the ensemble remains a testament to the urban and artistic transformations of Pernes-les-Fontaines, between medieval heritage and 19th century heritage.

External links