Nevers' Medieval Gate: Porte du Croux - A 14th-Century Tax Collector

In the very heart of France, on rue de la porte du Croux, Nevers' city center, a historical oddity lies concealed. Enter Porte du Croux, a gate that once collected 14th-century taxes. Though first mentioned in 1194, it wasn't until the following century that it took its current form, built between 1394 and 1398. By 1422, a tower was added, further bolstering its security. Yet, its defensive role ceased a century later, with the Wars of Religion, possibly as early as 1578. During the French Revolution, it became an archive depository for the abbess. In the year 1847, the baron de Vertpré bought the abandoned gate, wishing it to be restored and turned into a museum. Remnants of bridges from the ruisseau de la Passière can still be glimpsed, where once chains were laid to levy taxes, now hidden beneath the waters.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons