The monumental gateway to the naval base

The Musée de la Marine door was built in 1738 to the designs of master sculptor Jean-Lange Maucord. In fact, it was in 1956 that this door, originally the arsenal's, ceased to be used, and in 1976, it was moved to be placed on the façade of the Musée de la Marine.

It was designed as a Roman temple, with a central semicircular bay housing the entrance door, flanked on either side by a forebody with two columns supporting a 2.20 m-high statue in Calissanne stone. The statue on the right, sculpted by Maucord, represents Minerva, goddess of ingenuity and reason, while the one on the left, depicting Mars, god of war, is by his son-in-law Jean-Michel Verdiguier.
The door is surmounted by an attic featuring a large shield surrounded by arms and flags. On either side, a small genie supports a bouquet of palms and laurels: these sculptures were created by Joseph Hubac.