Erected in the late 17C, the arch is decorated with bas-reliefs commemorating the victories of Louis XIV and the major events of his reign, such as the linking of the two seas by the Canal du Midi and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The present statue of the Sun King dates from 1838. The original statue, cast in Paris in 1626, took 26 years to reach Montpellier in a series of incredible adventures. It was unfortunately destroyed during the Revolution.