Triumphal arch

The Triumphal Arch stands at the eastern end of the Jardin de Peyrou park, near the city center. It is 15 m high and 18 m wide. It was built in 1693 according to a design by François Dorbay, inspired by the Parisian Gate of St. Dionysius. In 1715, reliefs and inscriptions in honor of King Louis XIV were added to it.

The allegorical reliefs are dedicated to the four most important events that occurred during the reign of Louis XIV. It was the capture of Namur during the Great Alliance war, the excavation of the South Canal connecting the Bay of Biscay with the Mediterranean Sea, and the issuance of the Edict of Fontainebleau which canceled the Edict of Nantes. This document guaranteed religious freedom, and its revocation sanctioned the persecution of Protestants throughout the country. The last of the bas-reliefs depicts Louis XIV as Hercules, crowned by the goddess of victory, Victoria.