Porte d’Orléans

“A city gate, a witness to history,” a young voice chirped. We stand before the Porte d’Orléans, once a gateway in the Thiers wall, a 19th-century defense line encircling Paris. Porte d’Orléans is now one of the city’s main entrances. Imagine this area in the mid-1800s, surrounded by fortifications. The Porte d’Orléans stood as a sentinel, guarding the southern approach to the city. Today, it connects Paris with the commune of Montrouge. The Porte d’Orléans isn’t just an entry point. It is a transportation hub. Roads and public transport lines converge here. It’s the starting point of Route nationale 20, stretching all the way to the Spanish border, passing through Orléans, Toulouse, and Bourg-Madame. This route traces its origins back to the Middle Ages. It was a vital link between Paris and Orléans, the two major cities of the royal domain. At the turn of the 20th century, Porte d’Orléans bustled with activity. The Arpajonnais, a narrow-gauge railway, transported both passengers and goods, including market produce destined for the Halles de Paris. This railway operated from 1893 to 1937. In August 1944, the Porte d’Orléans played a pivotal role in the Liberation of Paris. Elements of General Leclerc’s 2nd Armored Division entered the capital through this very gate, marking a significant moment in World War II. This event resonated with Leclerc’s oath, taken after the Battle of Koufra in 1941. He vowed to fight until the French flag flew again over Strasbourg Cathedral. The nearby Square du Serment-de-Koufra commemorates this pledge. Look around, feel the pulse of this bustling gateway. The Porte d’Orléans, more than just a passage, it is a portal through time. It whispers stories of sieges and liberations, of royal processions and market deliveries, connecting the past with the present in the heart of Paris.