User:Bartaudr/Porte de Trèves (Bastogne)

The Porte de Trèves is a 14th-century building located in the city of Bastogne in the Province of Luxembourg in the Belgian Ardennes.

It is classified on the protected heritage sites list of Bastogne and on the list of Exceptional Heritage of Wallonia.

Location
The Porte de Trèves (or lower door) is situated to the North-East of Bastogne’s historic centre. It is located in the lower part of the city at the back of Saint Peter’s Church on the corner of Piconrue Street, Quatre-Bras Street and Porte de Trèves.

History
The construction of walls around Bastogne and comprising a dozen defensive towers as well as two gates was determined in 1332 by John the Blind, Count of Luxembourg and La Roche, King of Bohemia and Poland. These walls were erected between 1341 and 1360. From all these fortifications, the Porte de Trèves is the only famous element still standing. Indeed, in 1688, the city walls were demolished by order of the King Louis XIV of France. The Porte de Trèves was then converted into a prison. During World War II and more particularly during the Siege of Bastogne, (Battle of the Bulge), in December 1944 and January 1945, the bombings destroyed the gate, which was rebuilt after the war.

Description
The building has a square base of approx 8 metres a side and 17 metres high. A tunnel through the building runs northwest to southeast. It was closed at is upper and lower ends by two doors that allowed access into and from the city. The southeast door (or exterior door) is an arch topped by a small niche which contains a statue. The upper part contains three brattices (a fixed wooden tower or parapet). The northwest door (or interior door) consists of a half-pointed arch. Each façade contains small windows. On the northeast and southwest façades you can also see two small wall sections out from the building, indicating the walls’ axis. The building is built from schist and sandstone specific to the Ardennes region and is covered by a slate roof.