Grand Gate

Here it is—the oldest fortified gate in Saint-Malo. Try to picture this: back in the day, people arrived here by boat. The gate is flanked by two hefty defensive towers topped with machicolations, those overhanging openings once used to ward off attackers. Inside the gateway, you’ll see a niche holding the Virgin and Child, also known as Our Lady of Miracles. According to legend, she was the one who stopped the great fire of 1661. The story goes that a ship’s crew bound for the Indies found her mysteriously floating in a wooden crate. They brought her aboard, and the captain promised to install her somewhere safe and dry in his beloved Saint-Malo. Since returning from the rough sea, she has remained here above the Grand Gate, watching over the city. And Saint-Malo has faced plenty of attempted assaults since then—especially from the English—but none succeeded. So… who do we thank? The original statue is now in Saint Vincent Cathedral. The one you see here is a copy.