Golden Gate - Fréjus Tourist Office

Dominating the sky of Fréjus, the Porte d’Orée is much more than a vestige: it embodies history.

This arch, witness to a rich ancient past, seems to dance with the light.

Over the hours, it takes on golden hues, mixing stone and brick, materials dear to the Romans.

The origin of a mythical name

The only remaining vestige of the ancient thermal baths of Fréjus, the Porte d'Orée was never a real gate. In reality, its name, formerly spelled "Porte Dorée", comes from a historical error.

In fact, in the 17th century, Abbot Girardin, a historian of the time, discovered gilded nails there. He associated them with copper tenons, which had once fixed a marble veneer.

Thus, this particular detail contributed to the attribution of the evocative name of “Golden Gate”, a name which has endured through the centuries.

The Golden Gate: an emblematic arch of a Roman thermal complex

Listed as a Historic Monument in 1886, the Porte d'Orée is located northwest of the ancient Roman port of Fréjus. However, contrary to what one might think, it is not a simple gateway to the city. In reality, it is an imposing arch, a vestige of the large cold room (frigidarium) of the Roman baths.

Despite the many hypotheses of the past, this structure was therefore not a gate but a symbol of one of the most imposing thermal complexes of Narbonne. This complex, much larger than a simple bathing facility, was a central place in the daily life of the Romans.

For the Romans, the baths were much more than a place dedicated to cleanliness. They also served as places of sociability, spaces for meeting and exchange. Thus, in this immense complex, visitors could enjoy a cold water pool (natatio), a hot room (caldarium), and a cold room (frigidarium), of which only the Golden Gate survives today.

The Architecture of Grandeur: Secrets and Archaeological Discoveries

The construction of this monument in opus vittatum mixtum, combining brick and stone, attests to an architectural technique typical of the 2nd century AD, confirmed by the discovery of a sewer from the same century, ensuring the evacuation of water from the natatio.

During excavations in 1988, several archaeological treasures were unearthed, including an imposing female statue and a head of Jupiter, now on display at the municipal archaeological museum of Fréjus.

These discoveries add to the prestige of this ensemble, probably offered by an emperor, as a gift to the port city.

The Golden Gate, in its quiet grandeur, remains today the guardian of this ancient heritage, a place where past and present meet, inviting each visitor to immerse themselves in history and imagine the lively life of the Roman baths.

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