Place de la Concorde, Paris

Place de la Concorde, Paris

The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris, with an area of 8.64 hectares at the eastern end of the Champs- Élysées.

The Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris, with an area of 8.64 hectares at the eastern end of the Champs- Élysées. It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as an octagon, bordered by the Champs-Élysées and the Jardin des Tuileries on the Right Bank of the Seine. Created in 1763-'72 around a large statue of king Louis XV, it was renamed as Place de la Révolution during the French Revolution. The statue was replaced by a guillotine, and it was here that King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed in 1793.

Today, the square is centered around the Luxor Obelisk, a 23 metres tall Egyptian obelisk which was originally located at the entrance to Luxor Temple in Egypt. The yellow granite column is inscribed with hieroglyphs praising the reign of pharaoh Ramses II.

On either side of the Obelisk are 2 monumental fountains designed by Jacques Ignace Hittorff, both featuring a similar structure of a stone basin with 6 triton figures around the perimeter holding fish spouting water. At the center are 6 seated allegorical figures supporting a pedestal on which are statues of different forms of genius along with swans. The Fontaine des Mers to the south commemorates the maritime commerce and industry of France, with the 6 large figures representing the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, fish, corals, pearls and shells. On the next level are figures representing Maritime Navigation, Commerce and Astronomy. The Fontaine des Fleuves in the north commemorates navigation and commerce on the rivers of France. It 6 large figures on the lower level represent Rhône River, Rhine River, and the main harvests of France – Wheat, Grapes, Flowers and Fruit. On the next level are figures representing River Navigation, Agriculture and Industry.

The Place de la Concorde is surrounded by 19th century Neoclassical buildings.

• The building to the east of Royale Street is Hôtel de la Marine, built to plans by Gabriel under the direction of Jacques-Germain Soufflot, and now home to the French Naval Ministry. The building to the west of Royale Street has 4 lots - Hotel de Coislin, Plessis-Belliere Hotel, Cartier Hotel, and the Hôtel d'Aumont, which was transformed into the luxurious Hôtel de Crillon by architect Walter-André Destailleur. This historic hotel saw the drafting of the League of Nations by President Wilson and the Allied delegates in 1919.
• The northeast corner of Saint-Florentin Street has the Hotel de Talleyrand or Saint-Florentin Hotel, while the north-west corner on Boissy- d'Anglas Street has a similar building which houses the US Embassy.

At each corner of the octagonal plaza stands a statue representing a French town - Brest and Rouen at the north-west corner, Lille and Strasbourg at the northeast corner, Lyon and Marseille at the southeast corner, and Bordeaux and Nantes at the south-west corner.

The roads starting from the Place de la Concorde lead to important landmarks – Champs-Elysees leads to the Arc de Triomphe, Pont de la Concorde leads to the Palais Bourbon across the river, and the Rue Royale leads to the Église de la Madeleine.