The parapet is carried on very bold corbels of four and five courses in height, with pointed arches between them. The corbels at the angles being set diagonally, have a rather greater projection than those at right angles to the wall, and have therefore an additional course in the height. The arches adjoining the angles would naturally be wider than those on the faces, but to obviate this the corbels next the angle ones are slightly inclined towards them, so as to equalise the width of the openings. This is the general rule in all square towers of this description. The gates of the town are simple arched passages passing through square towers, being a type of gateway of frequent occurrence in the South. They are not protected with flanking towers or angle turrets, such as are invariably employed for greater security in the North. The gate-towers were defended with châtelets on the outer side of the fosse. Of these, the “Porte St Lazare” on the north-east side of the town is the best preserved. This had a forework attached to the gateway which protected the drawbridge. The latter descended on a landing which formed a detached square barbican, fortified with a parapet and angle turrets, and surrounded with a ditch. From this outwork another drawbridge in one of the sides, and therefore at right angles to the main gateway, gave access to the exterior roadway. This gateway was destroyed by an inundation of the Durance in 1358, and was reconstructed in 1364 by Pierre Obreri, the architect of the Papal Palace. The gateways of Provence, such as those of Orange and Marseilles, were usually similar in design to those of Avignon. At Carpentras and Aigues Mortes examples still exist of gateways pierced in square towers without flanking towers or turrets. PONT ST BÉNEZET.--The two opposite banks of the Rhone were generally in ancient times in the hands of different superiors. Thus, in the fourteenth century, while the Comtat Venaissin on the east belonged to the Popes, the opposite side of the river formed part of the kingdom of France. In order to protect the different domains castles were erected at both ends of the bridge which connected them. [Illustration: FIG. 51. PONT ST BÉNEZET AND CHAPEL OF ST NICHOLAS, AVIGNON.]