PLACE DE LA CONCORDE

Description

Essentials about Place de la Concorde in brief

With a length of 359 meters, a width of 21 meters and an area of over 68,000 square meters, Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful. The monumental square is located between the Tuileries Garden and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, directly on the north bank of the Seine. Along with Place des Vosges, Place Dauphine, Place Vendôme and Place des Victoires, Place de la Concorde is one of the five royal squares of Paris. Place de la Concorde is also world famous for its main attraction, an Egyptian granite monolith from the Temple of Luxor, which can be seen from afar.

The history of Place de la Concorde

Historically, Place de la Concorde dates back to Louis XV, who was looking for a worthy location for an equestrian statue of himself. Between 1755 and 1776 the square was built, originally also called Place Louis XV. During the French Revolution, in 1792, the equestrian statue in the square, renamed Place de la Révolution, was destroyed and removed. In its place, a guillotine was erected a year later, which was used to execute King Louis XVI, his wife Marie Antoinette, and many other members of the royal family, as well as revolutionaries such as Georges Danton and Maximilien de Robespierre. Within only two and a half years, more than 1,300 people fell victim to the guillotine on Place de la Concorde. After several name changes, the square has borne its current name since 1830. Place de la Concorde received its current appearance between 1836 and 1840.

The Obelisk of Luxor

The main attraction of Place de la Concorde, visible from afar, is the Obelisk of Luxor standing in the middle of the square, a granite monolith from the Temple of Luxor, 23 meters high and weighing about 230 tons. Dating back to the 13th century BC, the obelisk is thus the oldest monument in Paris. The obelisk was a gift from the Egyptian viceroy to King Louis-Philippe in 1834 in gratitude for the achievements of the French explorer Jean-François Champollion in translating the hieroglyphs. In 1998, the obelisk received a 3.6 meter high pyramidion made of gilded bronze. In connection with the Luxor obelisk, since 1999 there is another sight on the Place de la Concorde. If you look at the ground of the square you will find bronze lines and Roman numerals. These represent the world’s largest sundial. The top of the obelisk serves as a pointer.

The fountains on Place de la Concorde

Another beautiful design element of the square are the two fountains flanking the obelisk. Two smaller ones rise above each of the larger round water basins. The southern fountain is decorated with allegories of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, as well as seafaring and fishing. The northern fountain is decorated with allegories of the Rhône and Rhine rivers as well as agriculture and industry. Popular photo motifs are also the 20 cast candelabra of the square and the eight statues of women, which are allegories of the largest French cities.