The Old Town Portes of Vence
Gateways Through the Ramparts of the Medieval Village

It’s a short walk from the Grand Jardin, the center of what we might call “modern” Vence, to the ramparts of the old medieval town. One of the first things you will see as you approach the old town is the tall, imposing Peyra Tower, the last remaining defensive tower from the middle ages. Just to the right of its base is the Porte du Peyra, one of the five current “portes” (gates/doors) which allow entry into the old town. It is through the Porte du Peyra that most visitors and tourists enter the old town for the first time.

The old town of Vence is what is often referred to as a “walled” or “fortified” town. Towering stone walls encircle the entire town forming an impressive barrier to the outside world. In some spots, remnants of arrow slits and crenelations are still visible. Built to defend the town and its people from invasions, attacks and plagues, these walls have stood for over 800 years.

What began as an independent structure, a wall apart and separate from the houses of the village, has now evolved into something quite different. The original walls have now become part of the houses which were built against them, forming a series of tall structures that encircle the old town. You can read a more in-depth account of the fortified walls that surround Vence in this article: The Ramparts of Vence – Protecting the City for Almost 800 Years.

To enter (or exit) a closed city there must be gates. Today there are five such portes which allow access into and out of the old town of Vence. Porte du Peyra is the most well-known due to it’s proximity to the Grand Jardin. Moving in a clockwise direction around the old town we then encounter the Portail Levis, the Porte d’Orient, the Porte du Signadour and finally the Porte du Faubourg. Each of these portes was constructed at a different time and for a different reason. Each has also had numerous names over the centuries.

The Portes of the Old Town

A map from 1778, known as the Cassini map, shows three roads leading out of Vence: one from the Porte du Peyra heading west to Tourrettes-sur-Loup; one from the Porte du Signadour heading southeast to Saint-Paul-de-Vence and a third from the Portail Levis heading north and then east to Saint-Jeannet. Based on the position of the Portail Levis and the Porte du Signadour, it is believed that an old road, originally in use before the current ramparts were built, once ran through the town along this route. It would have looped around the south side of the cathedral.

The Portail Levis and the Porte du Signadour are the oldest of the existing entrances and it is possible that they replaced even older portes. A text that survives from 1392, written in Occitan, speaks of only two portes in the ramparts of Vence: la torre del pont levadis and portal de Sanct Paul. They were the only two portes for most of the middle ages. They are very similar in size, each standing 2.75 meters tall, 2 meters wide and 2 meters thick.

Unfortunately, there are no surviving documents in either the Vence municipal archives, the departmental archives or the Parish archives related to either of these portes. All our information is therefore based on their design, style and construction. Jacques Daurelle, author of Vence et ses Monuments (Vence and its Monuments), a highly regarded history of Vence from 1934, believed that the Porte du Signadour was the earlier of the two. However, another prominent specialist in French medieval military architecture, Denise Humbert, believes they were built at the same time. The stones used for these portes are nearly identical in shape and size. They appear to have come from the same quarry.

The Portail Levis

The Portail Levis (also known as the Portail du Nord, the Porte du Nord, the Portail de l’Écluse and Portail Lévadis) was registered on December 12, 1936 as an historical monument. Located on the north-west “corner” of the town, where Boulevard Paul André meets Rue Font Vieille, the outside section features a Gothic pointed arch with a keystone joint (though there is no actual keystone). The summit of the interior opening also displays a Gothic style though the pointed arch is recessed behind a more traditional opening with a more gradual rounded arch.

The top of the wall above the porte is very rough and uneven where stones have obviously been removed. It’s quite clear that at one point in time this wall extended much higher than it does today. Whether a tower was part of the actual porte is unclear. Jean-Claude Poteur, a highly respected French historian and archaeologist, in his essay, “Vence, The Medieval Wall and the Peyra Tower,” published in 2010, believes that a square flanking tower once stood in front of the porte. He does not believe this tower was part of the original ramparts or porte, but that it was added later. About two meters above the outside entrance of the porte are the remains of a small portion of a barrel vault which Poteur believes was part of the roof of this free-standing tower. We do know that the tower was demolished in 1819.

Due to some differences in the stone work on either side of the porte, Poteur does not believe that this porte was part of the original ramparts. He believes there was a different porte in this location that the current Portail Levis replaced sometime before 1392.

The stones used to create the arch on the exterior of the porte all have flat surfaces. Due to the age and the weathering of the stones they blend in quite a bit with the wall surrounding the arch. The arch is much less prominent here than on some of the other portes. The same is true for the interior arch although there is a somewhat distinctive pattern of stones along the top of the arch.

[click on any image to enter the gallery – more info after the photo gallery]

This porte once featured a vertical sliding door, known as a portcullis, which was lowered down grooves on each side of the gateway jamb. These grooves are still visible today. If you look closely you can see two holes on each side of the passageway which may have been used for a large bar to reinforce the sliding door. There are also the remains of hinges.

This porte opened onto a road that connected Vence with nearby Saint-Jeannet to the north-east and Castellane, much farther away to the north-west. A drawbridge originally reached from the porte across the ditch outside the village leading to a series of grain and olive oil mills. Two large square holes, one on each side of the outer wall, may have played a part in how the drawbridge was raised and lowered.

The Porte d’Orient

The Porte d’Orient (also known at various times as the Porte de l’Est, the Porte de Cagnes, the Porte du Levant, the Porte de la Brèche, the Porte Neuve, the Porte Saint-Veran, the Porte du Séminaire and the Port du Siege), as we see it today, was constructed in 1787. The date is engraved on the keystone at the top of the porte. In terms of style, design and dimension it is almost identical to the Porte de Peyra, measuring 5 meters in height, about 2.4 meters in width and just over 1 meter in depth. It has a very interesting and indeed colorful history.

The exterior portion of the porte features numerous large flat blocks of stone arranged in a rounded arch. All of these stones have flat surfaces except for, oddly enough, two or three which are bossed (stones that project outward). The width and length of these stones vary quite a bit creating an interesting design that somewhat resembles a fan. The interior is quite different. The walls of the passageway are tapered creating a larger opening on the inside. There are no large blocks of stone arranged around the opening to match or compliment the outside arch. If you look carefully at the top right section of the arch you will see a small series of very thin stones arranged in a pattern to mark the arch but they does not continue very far.

Unlike the Portail Levis and the Porte du Signadour, there is quite a bit of information to be found about this particular porte in the Vence archives. Its origins go back to 1759 when the Bishop of Vence, Gabriel François Moreau, opened a breach in the ramparts to create a more direct path between the Grand Seminary (which lay outside the town walls) and the cathedral. It is said that he grew tired of walking to the other side of the old town to gain entrance. Other reports say that his carriage would not fit easily through any of the other portes and so he created a larger opening in the ramparts here.

The portion of road which currently exists between The Porte d’Orient and the Sainte-Elisabeth Chapel (known today as the Route de Cagnes) was only constructed in 1869. Still, a porte on this side of town had long been requested by many of the people of Vence. There were others however who were not happy about this new opening, as some felt that another opening in the walls compromised their security. Two years later the General Council decided, on September 6, 1761, to close up the opening with “lime and sand.” This was the beginning of what came to be known as the “Trial of the Regales” which lasted for over 15 years.

The question here appeared to be more about who owned the rights to the ramparts (and therefore had the ability to create a new opening) than if such an opening was really necessary. Was it the Bishop of Vence or the Lord of Vence who controlled the ramparts? Or did the they belong to the people of the town? Maybe only the King could grant these rights?

On June 20, 1762 the Parliament of Aix sided with the Bishop. However, the town appealed to the King and on July 26, 1763 at a King’s Council held in Compiègne the town was declared to be the rightful owners of the ramparts, and therefore it was the town which had the right to create new entrances. Later in 1763 Gabriel François Moreau was replaced by bishop Michel-François de Couët du Vivier de Lorry. The new bishop, wanting to show conciliation and make peace with the citizens of Vence agreed with the King’s verdict. However, the Lord of Vence at the time made clear that he contested the royal judgement.

In the end it was decided that maybe another opening into the old town from this side wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Some say it was the then current bishop, Charles Pisani de la Gaude, who championed the reopening of the porte so that he would not have to get out of his carriage when traveling to the cathedral. On April 17, 1785 the municipal counsel took up a motion to restore the porte. It was approved and after a fairly intense bidding war from various masons, Dominique Fidèle Rossy was awarded the job. The new, improved porte was officially opened in 1787.

The French Wars of Religion took place between 1562 and 1598. These civil wars between the Catholics and the Protestants (also known at the time as the Huguenots) were responsible for the deaths of up to four million people. Vence found itself caught in the middle of these feuds time and time again. In June of 1592 Marshal Doc de Lesdiguières, the King’s Commander General of the Dauphiné forces, and his army laid siege to the town demanding that it convert from Catholicism to Protestantism. The town refused. Hopelessly outnumbered it was unclear just how long the town could hold out. Lesdiguières released a relentless stream of cannon fire upon the Vence ramparts. At one point a small breach was created and at another the cathedral’s bell tower was damaged, yet the town stood firm against any conversion to Protestantism.

[click on any image to enter the gallery – more info after the photo gallery]

Fortunately for the town of Vence a small Savoyard garrison, composed of foot soldiers and some cavalry, was stationed inside the walls of the town. Though they fought bravely, they were no match for Lesdiguières forces. Just when it seemed all hope was lost a canon of the Cathedral, Canon Laure, placed the busts of Vence’s two patron saints (Saint Véran and Saint Lambert) on the tower of the Cathedral and implored the residents to fight, claiming that the two Saints would protect the town and that Vence would prevail.

The townspeople found a new sense of hope and determination and fought bravely. It is said that from this moment on cannon balls fired against the town simply bounced off the ramparts and returned from whence they came to kill the invading soldiers. You can read more about this siege and the celebrations still held today to remember it in this article about the Procession of Saint Véran and Saint Lambert.

If you look up on the ramparts, just to the left of the Porte d’Orient, you’ll see a small stone marker under a window ledge engraved with the date A.D. 1592. One story says that this marks the place where a cannonball from Lesdiguières’ army made a small breach into the town. Another story says that this is where the people of Vence themselves created a small breach in the ramparts to chase after Lesdiguières and run his army out of town. Regardless of which story is true, if indeed either is, this is why, for a time, the Porte d’Orient was known as the Porte du Siege (the Siege Gate).

The Porte du Signadour

The Porte du Signadour (also known as the Porte du Guetteur, the Porte de Saint-Paul, the Porte d’Antibes and the Porte Sud) was registered on October 4, 1932 as an historical monument. Located in Place Anthony Mars on the south-east “corner” of the town, where Avenue Marcellin Maurel intersects with Avenue Colonel Meyere, it features an architectural design on the outer opening known as an “ogive,” a method whereby a diagonal stone rib exists at the top connecting two points of support. This Gothic design contrasts with the top of the inner opening which is more reminiscent of the Romanesque style. Unlike the other portes in the old town of Vence, this porte protrudes slightly from the walls around it, about 80cm. This gives the distinct impression that the porte was once part of a much larger tower and indeed it was once known as the “Tower of the Watchman.”

There is a fair amount of evidence that this porte and the walls surrounding it may have undergone several reconstructions over the years. A close examination of the stones that make up the protruding section reveals that there are three distinct sections. For a height of about three meters near the top we see stones that are roughly squared and assembled with wide mortar joints. The corners of this section are reinforced with dressed stones. It’s hard to say whether this is an addition or a restoration.

Below this section, for a height of about two meters, we find stones that are better-squared and reinforced with bossed stones. The lowest section of the porte, approximately six meters high, is constructed almost exclusively with bossed stones, mostly of medium size, except for two large stones at the base. It’s quite likely that these foundation stones are almost certainly from the original construction and provide us with a glimpse of what it may have looked like when it was first created.

The stones used for the exterior arch itself are mostly flat though two or three near the bottom are bossed.

Jean-Claude Poteur notes, in his essay, “Vence, The Medieval Wall and the Peyra Tower,” that there are “various anomalies… such as vertical joint alignments or varying stone heights within the same course,” found in the stonework. The pointed arch which covers the porte consists of “bossed stones which are unevenly elongated along the curve.” These stones are not made from the same limestone as the other blocks in the porte. The stones along the lower portion of the arch are flat, not bossed. Poteur goes on to say that, “The embedding of this covering into the wall, particularly in the upper part of its extrados, shows notable clumsiness.”

Viewed from the inside this porte reveals a bit of its history. A nice rounded arch of stone blocks marks the interior wall. They are mostly flat but two bossed stones can be found near the top of the left section and two more near the middle of the right section. The barrel vault which connects the interior arch with the exterior arch contains a variety of square and rectangular holes which most likely were part of the system for opening and closing whatever door existed on this porte.

Just inside the top of the exterior arch are two rounded stones with a hole in the middle, likely a part of some type of hinge system. Directly above the exterior arch, and below the roof of the barrel vault, is a random collection of stones that can only be described as rubble. It appears these stones were haphazardly placed here to simply fill in the small open space.

The name “Signadour” could possibly refer to the fact that lookouts were stationed here to watch out over the countryside for approaching enemies and that they would warn the inhabitants with “signals.” Or it might come from the Provençal word “senhadour” which meant an oratory. There is currently a small oratory niche just above the porte. However, a close examination of this niche shows that it was almost certainly added well after the construction of the porte. It probably dates back to 1670. At the time Bishop Godeau consecrated the town to the Baby Jesus and it is his statue that is placed inside this niche. Then again, at one time an old oratory once stood nearby where Avenue Colonel Meyère and Rue Saint-Michel now converge. A third possibility for the name comes from the story that the bishop of Vence once welcomed Scipion de Villeneuve after he renounced the Protestant religion, into the town and gave him a “hug” as a sign of peace and reconciliation.

Denise Humbert believes that this porte was probably further protected by a barbican (or barbacane), a fortified gateway. This is supported by a municipal deliberation from March 13, 1513 which says that some inhabitants removed some stones from said barbican and made some repairs: “Also because Guilhelmus Brequi and his brothers took the stones in the wall of the Barbican which is near the portal of St. Paul and to shore up the said wall and to bring it back to its former state.”

The Porte du Signadour once had a large tower as well, probably topped with machicolations or a wooden gallery. Some speculate that like the Portail Levis a drawbridge existed here as well, though there is no evidence to support this claim. The tower was torn down during the French Revolution. The Municipal Council voted to have it demolished on November 13, 1793. Considered by the revolutionaries to be a vestige of the previous feudal system it was said to be insulting to the concept of equality among all men. A man named Pierre Magagnosc, a mason, did the job for 65 pounds.

[click on any image to enter the gallery – more info after the photo gallery]

In the mid-1800s the town of Vence almost lost this porte entirely. There was talk at the time of completely demolishing the porte and some of the houses around it to make it easier for large wagons, carts and horse-drawn carriages to enter the old town. A resolution was actually passed by the municipal council on May 10, 1849 to destroy it.

We can read in the register of the deliberations of the Municipal Council the following: “Whereas the so-called Portail de Saint-Paul tower on the passage of departmental road No. 17, where there is only a narrow gate, only allows carts to enter the town with a lot of difficulty, that the opening is not even sufficient for the easy entry of loaded beasts of burden, that the demolition of this tower would have the advantage of providing this part of the town with a wide and spacious entrance for the circulation of wagons and cleaning up this district, the Council decides that this tower will be demolished.”

A little over a month later, on June 17 the Municipal Council met again to review an estimate provided by a Mr. Trotabas for having the porte demolished, along with two adjoining houses. The council then asked the Prefecture for authorization to proceed with the work. Fortunately for us, the decision was rejected by the Prefecture and the porte still stands today.

The Porte du Faubourg

The Porte du Faubourg (also known as the Grande Porte, the Porte Pontis and the Porte Alsace-Lorraine) was the last of the existing five ports to have been built when it was created in 1863. An inscription engraved on the stone at the top of the exterior arch of the porte commemorates this date. Despite the fact that Vence at the time already had four portes many felt that the town center was still too difficult to access, especially by cart, wagon or horse-drawn carriage. Additionally, the first “suburb” of Vence was built just outside the old town on the southern side. The inhabitants of this new area wanted a quick, direct way to enter the old town without having to walk around to either the Porte du Signadour or the Porte du Peyra.

[click on any image to enter the gallery – more info after the photo gallery]

In 1810 the town council looked at the problem and authorized a small pedestrian crossing to be created. The owner of one of the houses along the souther ramparts, Mary-Louise Martin, was paid an annual rent of 72 francs per year to create a “pedestrian passageway” on the ground floor of her house into the old town.

Still, the people of Vence demanded a larger, wider opening. In 1858 studies were begun to create a vaulted passage, known as a “pontis,” through the houses on this side of town. It was a fairly complicated endeavor which required a great deal of money to complete. To help pay for this new passageway the town sold its communal oven via an auction on August 23, 1859. Along with some donations from other inhabitants the money for the porte was eventually secured.

The owners of four houses between Rue Saint-Julien in the old town and rue du Faubourg (now Avenue Marcellin Maurell), which wraps around the ramparts on the outside of the old town, had to agree to the work. Cellars and basements had to be filled in. Drains for rainwater had to be constructed and connected to the underground sewer system. A sidewalk also had to be constructed to allow pedestrians to walk through the passage even if a wagon or cart might be passing through at the same time. The upper floors of the houses which were affected were left intact.

The Porte du Faubourg is the largest of the five portes in the old town of Vence. Unlike the other four portes it was built through existing houses and is therefore much deeper. The barrel vault passageway connecting the exterior arch with the interior arch is approximately 15 meters long and 4 meters wide. The arches are approximately 7 meters tall.

The exterior arch of the porte features a number of beautiful stones which are bossed on the side that faces the street and flat on the interior side. They are approximately the same size and shape, symmetrically placed to form a balanced arch. A larger, completely flat surfaced stone is found on each side of the arch at the bottom. A keystone, slightly larger than the other stones, sits at the top.

Inside the long passageway, the walls are formed with small rough stones of varying sizes placed together randomly. At a height of about 4 meters, when the barrel vault ceiling begins, the stones end and the ceiling consists of a smooth plaster finish. A door appears a little more than halfway through the passageway on each side, both leading to the neighboring houses. The surface of the small street through the passageway is formed by large polished stones which have shallow cuts on their surfaces to provide better traction. Along each side runs a small “sidewalk” for pedestrians to use. The road widens just a bit at the street and two large “thimble” shaped stones are placed on the corners to protect the arch and to limit the width of vehicles that are entering.

The rounded interior arch of the passageway features an interesting arrangement of very long, thin, stones which are arranged side by side. They are of differing lengths which adds to the artistic impression. Interestingly enough they end as the right side of the arch is swallowed up by the neighboring house.

The Porte du Peyra

The Porte du Peyra (also known as the Porte de la Tour), in its current form, most likely dates from 1810. It incorporates none of the defensive traits that make the Portail Levis and the Porte du Signadour so imposing. It’s just a simple archway connecting the Peyra tower with one of the houses of the ramparts. It measures about 5 meters in height, about 2.4 meters in width and just over 1 meter in depth (very similar to the Porte d’Orient).

The exterior features a symmetrical collection of bossed stones, matching each other perfectly from one side to the other, forming a rounded arch with a keystone at the top. Since the stones in the arch are quite different from those in the surrounding wall they create a porte that is quite distinct from the rest of the wall. The interior arch is a much different story. Small flat stones create a thin rounded arch that almost disappears entirely on the left and right side.

Another older porte first appeared in this location in 1441. Abbé Tisserand who wrote the first comprehensive history of Vence in 1862 (Histoire de Vence), wrote that, “Vence […] obtains by letters patent from King René (1441) the authorization to build Place Neuve, to open the portal of the tower.” This older porte was likely much more fortified and could even have featured a drawbridge and perhaps some type of a guardhouse. It was probably renovated and rebuilt in 1582.

[click on any image to enter the gallery – more info after the photo gallery]

We have documents that attest to the fact that it was walled up several times in the 16th century. Once in 1536 when Provence was invaded by Charles V and later from 1580 to 1582 when the plague ravaged the area.

An existing document from 1762 says that, “By a deliberation of July 18 of this year 1582, [the community] decided to open a third porte for the convenience of the inhabitants…” This would support the fact that the porte was indeed closed prior to 1582.

Other Entrances

In 1824 three small, rudimentary openings were created in the northern Ramparts, at the ends of Rue Sainte-Luce, Rue Pisani and Rue Sainte-Elisabeth. These were not created simply for the convenience of the townspeople. The vault in the Cathedral had developed a crack. When patching did not solve the problem it was decided to demolish the vault and rebuild it. These three new breaches in the ramparts were created to assist in the removal of debris from the work.

Access

Vence can easily be reached from just about anywhere in France by taking the A8 until you get to Cagnes-sur-Mer. If you are coming from the east get off on Exit 48 and if you are coming from the west you’ll want Exit 47. Take the M336, then the M36 and finally the M236 north into Vence. The most accessible parking is in the Parking du Grand Jardin, right next to the old town. Parking Toreille and Marie Antoinette Parking are both close by as well.

The Vence Office de Tourisme is just across the street from the Grand Jardin. The old town, its ramparts and the portes are just a very short walk from any of these parking lots. While you can visit the old town at any time, on any day of the year, I would suggest that you try to come on any day but Sunday or Monday so that you might enjoy some of the shops and boutiques that will otherwise be closed.