The Place de la Concorde , is one of the most important public squares in Paris and the largest in the capital, it was designed in 1755, decorated with statues and fountains and was named Place Louis XV in honor of the king, whose statue on the back from a horse he got up here too.
In its northern part, two identical buildings were built, a perfect example of the architecture of the time, one of which is the current Hotel de Crillon and the other the French Ministry of the Navy .
Guillotine stories in the Plaza de la Concorde
During the French Revolution, the equestrian statue was demolished and the square was renamed “Plaza de la Revolucion”, and it was here that Louis XVI was executed by guillotine on January 21, 1793; other people guillotined at this location included Queen Marie Antoinette, Robespierre, Princess Elizabeth of France, and Madame du Barry.
At the end of the conflict, the square changed its name again, this time Plaza de la Concordia, as a symbol of reconciliation, although in 1814 with the Bourbon restoration it was once again called Plaza de Luis XV and Plaza de Luis XVI in 1826; finally, in 1830, after the July Revolution, its current name was returned to it.
Egyptian obelisk in Paris
If this square is characterized by something, it is the Egyptian obelisk that stands in its center , decorated with hieroglyphics that celebrate the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II, a gift from the Egyptian government to France in the 19th century; this obelisk originally marked the entrance to the Luxor temple and arrived in Paris on December 21, 1833; three years later King Luis Felipe placed it in its current place.
The obelisk is a red granite column 23 meters high and weighing 280 tons, flanked on both sides by fountains whose construction dates from the same period.
Next to the Place de la Concorde in Paris is the Orangerie Museum and the Tuileries Gardens.
If you want to visit other places related to Marie Anonieta or French royalty, you can include the place where she was held prisoner, the Conciergerie, and her residence the Palace of Versailles.
Prices
Free
Schedules
24 hours
Address
Place de la Concorde
How to get
Subway Concorde
