Up until the 18th century, Arlon was a small village, with a city wall separating the town from the vast rural landscape beyond. The Bastogne Gate is one of two gates in the modern (late 17th century) version of these fortifications. The other is the Luxembourg Gate, located on what is now rue des Déportés. This gate provides access to roads leading to Virton, Neufchâteau and Bastogne. Its destruction in the devastating fire of 1785 gave the town the opportunity to expand beyond its walls, particularly around what is now rue des Faubourgs.