The earliest reference to the gateway dates from 1372. At that time it was known as the “porte du Grand Port” and was the entrance to the enclosure built in the 14th century to protect the Grande Rive quarter. Before the lake was lowered in 1879, this gateway did not connect to any street; its sole purpose was as an access route to the town’s main port, which was situated in a small estuary sheltered from the cold and blustery Bise wind. Behind the Thiolleyres Gate, you can hear the sound of the Moulins river gushing into the lake.
