Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Place Dauphine, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris on the island of La Cité, was built in 1607 on the initiative of Henri IV. It was conceived as a homogeneous urbanistic ensemble, inspired by the Place Royale (now Place des Vosges), with thirty-two identical stone and brick houses, organized around a triangular space. The king offered the ground to Achilles I of Harlay, the first president of the Paris Parliament, as a reward for his services during the League. Harlay supervised construction according to strict rules, creating a concerted urban planning model.

Originally, the square was to accommodate a horse statue of Henry IV in its center, but it was finally installed on Bridge Nine, in an independent space called Pont Neuf Square. The Dauphine Square quickly became a place of commerce (goldsmiths, bezels) and a cultural space, welcoming exhibitions of artists refused by the Academy in the 18th century. His name pays tribute to the dolphin, future Louis XIII, born in 1601.

Over the centuries, the place underwent major transformations. In 1792, it was renamed "Place de Thionville" during the Revolution, and then regained its original name in 1814. In 1874 Viollet-le-Duc demolished some of the buildings to clear the facade of the Palace of Justice, altering its original closed appearance. Despite these changes, the square retains an intimate charm, with its art galleries, cafes and grounds classified as a historic monument since 1950. She is also famous for her role in literature and art, inspiring authors such as André Breton or Yves Simon.

The soil of Dauphine Square, listed as historic monuments, bears witness to its heritage importance. The two original corner pavilions, located at the entrance to Bridge Nine, are the only intact remains of the original thirty-two houses. Today, the square combines history and modernity, with trees replanted to evoke its initial triangular layout and an underground parking lot under its central land.

Dauphine Square was also marked by aborted projects, such as Germain Boffrand's in 1748, which proposed to erect a column to the glory of Louis XV, or Jacques-Pierre Gisors' in 1787, aimed at celebrating Louis XVI with an arc of triumph. These projects illustrate its symbolic status in Parisian urban planning, between royal heritage and contemporary adaptations.

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