Hidden under the street

This is part of the Medieval wall dating back to the 1300s and it’s across from the non-Medieval cinema about 60 steps from our home.

When Argelès was totally surrounded by a 10-metre wall this area held the Sea Gate or Porte de Mer. The other gates that let people into the village of about 1,500 residents were the Elne and Collioure portes. Neither the gates nor the walls surrounding them exist today.

Looking closely at the wall, the slits in the stone are for archers to shoot through at the attacking enemy. However, if the slits were at street level, the attackers would easily be able to stick their swords through them killing the archers.

A second clue to the history is that at the side of the wall the bricks begin to slant. The walls were built so that the bottom 10-15 metres were on a slant. Then the walls went straight up.

The reason was strategic. If someone was trying to scale the walls, or worse dig out stones to start a fire, the defenders above would throw stones or other discouraging objects to hit the attackers on the head. In fact many of them worked as a team, one to do damage, and one to hold a shield over their heads to protect them from falling debris.

However, if the lower part of the wall was on a slant, those defending would have a better shot at the invaders.

What this building tells residents of today, that at one time the street was much, much lower. Probably only 1/5^th of the slanted wall is visible.

And oh yes, the cinema wasn’t there either.