A little history of Croux gate

Count Pierre de Courtenay surrounded Nevers in 1194 with a powerful fortified wall flanked by 7 towers: Ardilliers' gate, Saint-Didier's gate, Pont-Cizeau gate, la Barre gate, Loire's gate, Nièvre's gate and finally, our Croux gate.

This one, a big three storeys building, has got little windows, an outside machicolation gallery and in the past a portcullis and a drawbridge.

On the façade, we still can see blazons of Nevers and Charles de Gonzague sculpted in 1593.

Works began in 1394 and were finished in 1398, under the direction of main contractors Odenet Gendrat and Jean de la Forest.

Where does this name of Croux come from? There was a deep ditch filled with water of river Croux, behind the gate!