Balagué Gate

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Balagué Gate (or Balaguer) is one of the gates of the urban walls of the upper town of Elne, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. The Balagué district is mentioned as early as 1256, and the gate appears in the sources in 1442, but its construction is attributed to the 14th century. It has two pointed arches, one outer and one inner, separated by a machicolated slot; traces of corbels beneath the vault probably supported a statue. The neighbouring curtain walls have been remodelled but retain, in places, facings of river pebbles and brick. The gate and the adjoining rampart have been listed as a monument historique by order of 30 November 1972; the urban walls of the upper town, together with the bas-reliefs sculpted by Gustave Violet, have been listed since the order of 26 December 2023.