SERPENTINE DOOR
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Monumental gate in the shape of a triumphal arch at the entrance to Metz, a site steeped in history and host to artistic events.
A monumental gate at the entrance to the city, the Serpenoise Gate was built on the ruins of the Scarpone Gate, a vestige of the fortified city and its ramparts, delimiting the southern part of the city since the 3rd century.
It represents 4 historical events that marked the history of the city, including the defense by its inhabitants in 1473: Metz, then an independent city with its own army, was coveted by the Duke of Lorraine. The latter managed to enter Metz at night by disguising his troops as merchants and ordered them to "Kill everything, women and children! Spare nothing! The baker Harelle, who was preparing his bread for the morning, sounded the alarm and the inhabitants of Metz defended their city, pushing back the troops of the Duke of Lorraine. Badly damaged during the 1552 siege by Charles V, the medieval gate was demolished in 1561 to make way for the fortifications of the citadel. The current gate was rebuilt in 1852, it was then an elbowed tunnel of about thirty meters crossing the slope of the southern rampart. Its angled shape made it possible to avoid direct artillery fire into the city. The gate also served as a link with the old railway station. In 1902-1903, the city walls were dismantled and the Serpenoise Gate took on its current form as the Arc de Triomphe. Today, this building is part of the urban landscape of the city of Metz and regularly hosts various artistic events.
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