Place de la Concorde

The Place de la Concorde, covering an area of 8 hectares, is the largest square in Paris. It is located in the 8th arrondissement, between the Tuileries and the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. Before the construction of the square in 1772, a big statue of King Louis XV was erected at its site in 1763 to celebrate the king's recovery from a serious illness. Initially, the square, designed by the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel, was known as the "Place Louis XV". In 1792 the old statue was replaced with the one called "Liberté" (freedom), whereas the square was renamed "Place de la Révolution". A guillotine was placed at its centre, where more than 1000 people were beheaded during the French Revolution, including King Louis XVI, Marie-Antionette, and Maximilien Marie Isidore de Robespierre. It was not until 1830 that the square was finally given its current name "Place de la Concorde".

Since the 19th century, the centre of the square has been occupied by a monumental, 32-century old obelisk from the temple of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II. This 23-metre tall monolith weighing approximately 230 tons is made of pink granite. It was one of three obelisks offered in 1831 by the Viceroy of Egypt to Louis Philippe, and the only one that was transported to Paris. It is decorated with hieroglyphics depicting the reign of the Pharaoh.

Each angle of the octagonal square is occupied by a statue representing one of the following French cities: Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg. All of them were created by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf in 1836. The architect also created two bronze fountains found in the square: "La fontaine des Mers" and "Elevation of the Maritime".

From the square you can see the Arc de Triomphe, the Tuileries, the Madeleine, and the Palais Bourbon, situated across the Seine.

Source of description: planerGO
Neighbourhood Champs-Élysées (8th Arrondissement - l'Élysée)
Price definition of price gratis
Geographical coordinates 48.8652037, 2.3209142
Address 75008 Paris, Place de la Concorde
Construction dates - 1772
Length 359.00
Width 212.00
More information official website

How to arrive