The Couvre Porte was a complex system of gateways through which one could gain access into Vittoriosa.
Three fine early eighteenth century gateways are most impressive. The Advanced Gate of 1722 is ornamented with some of the most impressive carvings on the island, though many were damaged by the egalitarian fervour of the Revolutionary French in 1798. The Couvre Porte (1723) is graceful whilst the Gate of Provence (1727) is plainer.