Porte des degrés - Boulogne-sur-mer

On the route of the quadrangle of the old city walls, the gate is one of the four city gates of the old fortified town of Boulogne-sur-Mer and is located on the south-western side (on the east side was the Porte Flamengue, on the south side the Porte Gayole and on the north side the Porte des Dunes).

The gate was built between 1227 and 1231 , at the same time as the rest of the fortifications, at the instigation of Philippe Hurepel de Clermont, then Count of Boulogne. In 1587, the gate and the guardhouses were blocked by du Bernet, because the gate had become a weak point due to the development of artillery, and the whole complex had suffered a fire during attacks on the ramparts. These elements were finally cleared and opened to traffic in 1895.

The gate follows a Philippine-style plan: two massive U-shaped towers projecting from the wall surround a gate. The towers are pierced by archways, some of which were converted into gun ports at an unknown date. The doorway has a barrel vault and is faced with brick, possibly modified in the 16th century. Originally, the ceilings were wooden and the monument was preceded by a drawbridge with a single chain and a portcullis.

Willem Vandenameele