Porte d'Aix

Porte d'Aix
Porte d'Aix in Marseille, France
Porte d'Aix is located in Marseille
Porte d'Aix
Location within Marseille
Porte d'Aix is located in France
Porte d'Aix
Porte d'Aix (France)
General information
TypeRoyal triumphal arch
LocationMarseille, France
Coordinates43°18′06.45″N 05°22′29.15″E / 43.3017917°N 5.3747639°E / 43.3017917; 5.3747639
Construction started1825
Completed1839
Design and construction
Architect(s)Michel-Robert Penchaud

Porte d'Aix (also known as the Porte Royale) is a triumphal arch in Marseille, in the south of France, marking the old entry point to the city on the road from Aix-en-Provence.[1] The classical design by Michel-Robert Penchaud was inspired by the triumphal arches of the Roman Empire. The Porte d’Aix was initially conceived in 1784 to honour Louis XVI and to commemorate the Peace of Paris (1783) that ended the American Revolutionary War. Following the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1814–15, the project was resumed in 1823, now to commemorate French victories in the Spanish Expedition, notably at the Battle of Trocadero, August 31, 1823. It was eventually completed in 1839, with a more general theme of victory.[2]