Porte d’Italie is one of the surviving parts of Toulon’s old fortifications, east of the centre on Place Armand-Vallé. Formerly called Porte Saint-Lazare, it is associated with Bonaparte’s departure for the Italian campaign in 1796.
More about your visit
The regional inventory documents successive structures and the gate previously named Saint-Lazare. Observe the passage depth, heavy masonry and remaining defensive features. A military gate’s form answers practical constraints; it is not merely an isolated decorative arch. Changes around it now make the continuity of the ramparts harder to see.
Local historical tradition links today’s name with Bonaparte’s departure for the Italian campaign in 1796. That is a useful period marker, but the gate tells a longer story than one famous person’s passage. An old map in the sources helps imagine neighbourhoods before the boulevards opened.
Allow a short stop, then continue towards the cathedral and old town. Observe the architecture from public areas, respecting passageways and any current uses. A historical guided walk can, however, connect scattered remains and explain what is no longer visible.
Sources
Information from sources consulted on 25 September 2026.
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