The Mars Gate, Reims, France

The Mars Gate, otherwise known as the Porte de Mars in French, is a triumpham arch in Reims. It has three archways flanked by columns and is 108 feet in length by 43 feet in height.

The Mars Gate is the oldest monument in Reims (previously named Rheims) and was one of four Roman gates to the city walls. It is believed that the gates were restored in the 9th century at the time of the Norman invasion of northern France. It was named after a nearby temple dedicated to Mars.

A popular legend is that Remi, a Belgic tribe of the north-eastern Gaul in the 1st century BC, constructed the gate in honour of Augustus (Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus) when Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa made the great roads. However, it is believed that the Mars Gate belongs to the 3rd or 4th century.

The Mars Gate Print
by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of the Mars Gate in Rheims, France, which was taken at the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-05340). Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the range of products featuring this vintage photochrom of the Mars Gate.

Dunnottar Castle, Scotland

Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval castle which is located on the north-east coast of Scotland near Stonehaven, on a rocky headland with steep cliffs that drop to the North Sea 50 metres below.


The site is believed to have been an early fortress of the Dark Ages, however the surviving buildings are mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries. 


From the Middle Ages, Dunnottar Castle played an important strategic role throughout Scotland's history due to its location. It overlooked the shipping lanes to northern Scotland and was situated on a narrow coastal terrace that controlled access via land to the south coast dueing the medieval period.

Dunottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland by OldeWorldGifts

Vintage photomechanical print of Dunottar Castle in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, which was taken at the end of the 19th century. Photograph courtesy of LOC (LC-DIG-ppmsc-07682). Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the full range of products featuring this beautiful vintage print.

Latest News from OldeWorldGifts

This week OldeWorldGifts has been searching through the beautiful old photochrom prints for Italy and has started adding some of these images to the store.

The first additions have been from the region of Campania and have included the Island of Capri, Naples and Pompeii. There are some amazing pictures in this selection, such as the Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri,the harbour at Naples and Street of the Tombs in Pompeii.

The latest additions have been from the region of Liguria and more specifically from Sanremo in the Italian Riviera, such as the Chapel St Ampeglio, Sanremo Promenade and Sanremo Harbour.

New images are being added daily, with the focus this week on the beautiful Italian towns and cities. Visit OldeWorldGifts to see the full range of products featuring an extensive selection of vintage images from around the world.