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| Map of Paris circa 1550, Porte Saint-Honoré |
Location: 163 Rue Saint-Honoré
English Translation
“Opened in 1380 as part of Charles V's enclosure, the second Porte Saint-Honoré formed a one-storey square structure flanked at each corner by a round tower. On September 8, 1429, Joan of Arc launched an offensive there to retake Paris from the English. But she was struck in the thigh by an arrow while probing the water-filled moat to have it filled with bundles of sticks. On January 19, 1591, Henri IV sent soldiers disguised as millers to open the gate on the pretext of delivering supplies to the besieged Parisians: the so-called “Flour Day” was a failure, as the League forces had walled up the gate. After completion of the Louis XIII enclosure, or the Fossés Jaunes, the Porte Saint-Honoré was demolished in 1636, having become unnecessary.”
Background notes
- The first Porte Saint-Honoré was built in the early 13th century as part of the Philippe Auguste wall (constructed between 1190 and 1215), marking the first major expansion of Paris. The new fortifications were intended to defend not only the monarchy but also the growing urban population, as the city had extended beyond its original limits.
- By the time of the Hundred Years' War between England and France (1337-1453), Paris had grown, and its defences were outdated, making a new gate and wall necessary. The second Porte Saint-Honoré was built in 1380 as part of the Charles V enclosure to strengthen the city's defences against the English threat.
- The Hundred Years' War was fundamentally a struggle for dominance between England and France, stemming from competing claims to the French throne, territorial ambitions, and economic rivalries.
- In 1429, during the Hundred Years' War, Joan of Arc launched an offensive on September 8 to retake Paris from the English, who had held the city since 1420 (following the Treaty of Troyes). Joan’s attack was unsuccessful. She was struck in the thigh by an arrow while inspecting the water-filled moat, which she intended to fill with bundles of sticks (a tactic used to either create a makeshift bridge or to neutralize the moat's defensive function). The English continued to hold Paris until 1436, when it was retaken by French forces under Charles VII.
- The "Flour Day" attempt occurred on January 19, 1591, during the French Wars of Religion. Henri IV, originally a Protestant, attempted to gain access to Paris by sending soldiers disguised as millers to open the Porte Saint-Honoré under the pretense of delivering flour to the besieged Parisians. However, the Catholic League forces (who opposed him) had sealed the gate, making the operation a failure. Henri IV continued his siege of Paris, and after his conversion to Catholicism in 1593, the city surrendered to him in 1594.
- The French Wars of Religion spanned from 1562 to 1598. These were a series of civil wars in France primarily between Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants), driven by both religious and political conflict, which culminated in the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting religious tolerance to Protestants.
- In the 1630s, the city’s defences were expanded with the construction of the Louis XIII enclosure, which included the Fossés Jaunes (Yellow Moats). The new fortifications extended beyond the earlier Charles V wall, incorporating new areas outside the previous boundaries. The term 'fossés' refers to ditches or moats, and 'jaunes' means yellow, likely due to the color of the soil or the type of clay or earth removed during the construction of the moats.
- The Louis XIII enclosure was short-lived, being dismantled in the 1670s as urban development expanded and the Grands Boulevards were created under Louis XIV, reshaping the city’s layout.