The first written traces of the existence of Crémieu date from the end of the 1282th century. At that time, the city was the chief town of a mandate included in the barony of La Tour which was attached to Dauphiné in 16. (Dauphiné which was sold to the Crown of France on July 1349, XNUMX). At that time, the city was organized around two poles:
– Saint-Laurent Hill with the Château delphinal where the old neighborhoods were established, plays a civil and military role.
– Saint-Hippolyte hill with its Benedictine Priory also surrounded by fortifications is the religious center.
In the XNUMXth century, each hill was fortified independently.
In 1315, the Dauphin John II, Lord of Dauphiné, decided to grant Crémieu a franchise charter giving new freedoms to the Cremolans. It thus creates the conditions for growth marked in particular by the creation of a new town between the two hills of the city.
This new town also needed fortifications, because Crémieu, located on the border of Dauphiné and Savoie (Ain then belonged to Savoy) must be able to play a military role in the event of invasion, a second enclosure rampart will therefore be built in the 14th century. The Portes de la Loi, de Quirieu and later the Porte Neuve or Porte François Ier are part of this second enclosure.

This set of fortifications is a rare and very well preserved testimony. The ramparts of Crémieu constitute a national treasure both for the quality of the work but also for the exceptional conservation. The ramparts had at least 11 gates, 9 of which are still preserved, as well as at least 14 defensive towers, all preserved.

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