The name of this portal is derived from the twelve highly fragmented images of the apostles that presided over the gate. A Virgin is located in the mullion of the gate and a group of prophets and angels located on small pedestals in the archivolts completed the sculptural decoration of this noble gate, also known as the Gate of Final Judgement, as this is the subject of representation chosen for its tympanum.
It became the main entrance to the cathedral complex, as the Romanesque facade of the temple had been sacrificed to the construction of the cloister. A monumental stoop, flanked by noble buildings of the gothic quarter, connected the bottom of the hill to the portal, making this access a magnificent entrance.