The Narbonne Gate in its restored state

THE RESTORATION WORK THE NARBONNE GATE The Narbonne Gate, west elevation, reproduction. In his study in 1846, Viollet-le-Duc reproduced the Narbonnaise Gate's original state,with its roofing decorated with a coloured tile design.In the final study, he was to show it with the changes made to the roofing at the end of the XIIIth Century when it was finished with slate tiles.  he architect began the restoration of the Narbonne Gate based on the detailed archaeological research carried out between 1846 and 1849, which was highly praised by Prosper Mérimée : "Le travail graphique et le mémoire de Monsieur Viollet-le-Duc sur la porte Narbonnaise est une excellente étude archéologique sur l'art de la fortification au Moyen Age" (Monsieur Viollet-le-Duc's draughtsmanship and his report on the Narbonnaise Gate, are an excellent archaeological study of the art of fortification in the Middle Ages). From 1859 to 1860, the roofless, ruined towers, were given new slate roofs which returned them to their XIIIth Century state. However, the wooden defences, hoardings (wooden wall passages corbelled out at the top of a curtain wall, to hit the foot of the wall under fire through openings in its floor), hinged shutters covering the openings, that were shown in his studies, were not reconstructed.

Chronology of work under  Viollet-le-Duc and his  successor Paul Boeswillwald  The old Saint-Nazaire  Saint-Celse Cathedral  The Narbonne Gate  The Saint-Nazaire Gate  The West Fortifications  The North Fortifications  The Restoration Site  After the Death of  Viollet-le-Duc :  Paul Boeswillwald   The Narbonne Gate before restoration.