The Cailhau door ( porta deu Calhau in 1450 ) or Palace gate is a gate of the city of Bordeaux , in the French department of Gironde . It served as both a defensive door and a triumphal arch (presence of a niche bearing the image of the king). It has been classified as a historical monument since May 28 , 1883. On its facade, on the city side, we can see in the center a theatrical scene representing two angels wearing an escutcheon with 3 fleur-de-lis surmounted by a helmet wearing the royal crown. The whole is in the center of a capital also decorated with fleur-de-lys, framed by curtains tied with cords, with at the top a curious hairy figure seeming to be watching the scene.