Porte d'Aix
The Porte d'Aix , also Porte Royale (German King's Gate ) is a triumphal arch on the Place Jules-Guesde in Marseille . Its name comes from its location on the arterial road to Aix-en-Provence .
history
Louis XVI originally wanted to use the arch to erect a monument to the peace of Paris , which ended the American War of Independence . The French Revolution of 1789 put an end to the project for the time being.
Planning was only resumed in 1823 with the restoration of the Bourbons . The foundation stone was laid in 1825. Now, however, the arch was intended as a memorial to the successful invasion of Spain under the command of the Duke of Angoulême , which led to the suppression of the Spanish Revolution and the reinstatement of King Ferdinand VII .
After further delays caused by the July Revolution , it was finally completed in 1839.
architecture
The architect Michel-Robert Penchaud based himself on ancient examples. The Arch of Titus in particular , but also the Arch of Constantine and the Arch of Trajan , influenced the design. Both main facades of the approx. 18 m high building are divided by four Corinthian columns each. These are also placed in front of Corinthian pilasters . On the attic , the city of Marseille “thanks” the Republic (A LA RÉPUBLIQUE - MARSEILLE RECONNASSANTE).
The sculptors David d'Angers and Jules Ramey created the figurative decorations on the north and south sides. The figure program had to be changed under the July monarchy : the House of Orléans now had the royal dignity, so that the arch could no longer be erected as a memorial to a prince from the House of Bourbon . Instead of alluding to the successes of the Duke of Angoulême, the reliefs now show trophies and Victoria as well as scenes of the battles at Fleurus , Heliopolis , Marengo and Austerlitz, which were victorious for France , as well as the "call to defend freedom" ( La patrie appelant ses enfants à la défense de la Liberté ) by d'Angers and Ramey's “Return to Home” ( Le retour dans le foyer ). The triumphal arch could now be considered a general victory monument for France.
Northwest: The defeated Field Marshal Friedrich von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld takes off his hat to Jean-Baptiste Jourdan at Fleurus.
Northeast: The defeated Ottomans present their insignia to General Jean-Baptiste Kléber at Heliopolis.
Southwest: Conquered standards for the dying General Louis Desaix at Marengo.
South-east: Napoleon facing advancing Russian troops near Austerlitz.
Eight approximately 2.75 m high figures once stood on the pillars, representing the virtues of the ruler . Unfortunately, it turned out over time that the stone was not particularly weatherproof. The figures were getting worse and worse, and despite repairs, six heads had already fallen on the street by 1937. Then all the figures were dismantled. After the restoration of the arch in 2003, only the d'Angers' figures on the north side returned:
The selflessness with a pelican
The deliberation
The resignation
The courage with a lion at your feet
Todays situation
The Place Jules-Guesde has long been a place of low quality. The triumphal arch itself stood on a traffic island. As part of the Euroméditerranée urban renewal program , the area has been and is being upgraded. The last inner-city section of the A7 Autoroute was moved into a tunnel. The car traffic in the area of the Place Jule-Guesde has thus been reduced. The Porte d'Aix is now part of a green area.
Individual evidence
- ^ Monuments Marseille: La Porte d'Aix. In: Tourisme Marseille - Visiter la Provence en vacance, week-end et séjour. Retrieved December 1, 2015 (fr-fr).
- ↑ Porte d'Aix - Belsunce, Noailles, Porte d'Aix - Visiter Marseille et ses alentours - City guide - Marseille Forum. In: www.marseilleforum.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015 .
- ^ Porte d'Aix et Arc de Triomphe de Marseille | Provence 7. In: www.provence7.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015 .
- ^ Porte d'Aix et Arc de Triomphe de Marseille | Provence 7. In: www.provence7.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015 .
- ↑ EuroMediterranee: A7. (No longer available online.) In: www.euromediterranee.fr. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013 ; accessed on December 1, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- La Porte d'Aix - Passé / Présent. In: www.vieux-marseille.com. Retrieved December 1, 2015 .
Coordinates: 43 ° 18 ′ 6.7 ″ N , 5 ° 22 ′ 29 ″ E