On the Place de la République, the arch of the new gateway overhangs one of the most recent gates of the old town
Erected in 1607, it completed a system of openings in the rampart that included, up to that date, the town gate to the south (the seat of the town hall), the false gate to the east (no longer in existence), the postern in the rue de la Cité (destroyed in 1920, but of which some remains can be seen), and finally the breach known as the "vendanges" to the west (closed by the chapel of the penitents in 1609-1610)
The new gate was offered to the community by Jean-Baptiste I de Covet, in exchange for the transfer of the old false gate to enlarge his castle, as well as an important loan of money. Moreover, with this construction, he compensated the inhabitants of the district who were inconvenienced by the stagnation of water caused by the filling in of the northern ditch and the acquisition of the gardens that bordered it to move back the limit of the seigneurial property
The new gate was built on the site of a house owned by the Barrons, who were in joint ownership at the time
It opened up the town onto a small esplanade (today's Place de la République), then known as the "Pradin" or "Pradeau de la seigneurie". Jean-Baptiste de Covet entrusted the earthwork and construction to the mason Jean Davin, originally from Signes and settled in Trets where the baron had his first castle
The craftsman had already, from 1603 to 1605, completely restored the one in Marignane, which he had acquired in a sorry state. He kept the remains of the arch of the original house, still visible on the left of the portal, and launched an arch of ashlar perhaps originally furnished with battlements, in any case stipulated in the contract. The installation of hinges indicates that heavy wooden doors were used to close this gate, especially at night
This gate marks the beginning of the modern development of the village, now far from a place of entrenchment, which is crossed from side to side.
Source Patrick Varrot, art historian - February 2021
