Place Vendôme
Place Vendôme began in 1698 as the Place Louis-le-Grand, built to celebrate the armies of Louis XIV, and it is associated with the city’s most direct link to luxury: it is the starting point of the Rue de la Paix. The square’s regular, rectangular plan—finished in baroque manner—was shaped by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, with pedimented screens canted across the corners that make the space look like an octagon. In the centre stood a life-size equestrian statue of Louis XIV by François Girardon, dating to 1699; it is believed to be the first large modern equestrian statue cast in a single piece. That sculptural statement did not survive the French Revolution, but the monument that anchors the square did: Napoleon I erected the original Vendôme Column to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz, and it was torn down on 16 May 1871 by decree of the Paris Commune—before being re-erected and remaining prominent to this day.
AI-generated from open data and cross-checked, with review where noted. How we write narrations
🎧 Listen in WayWhisper
