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  6. Place Vendôme in Paris

 Place Vendôme in Paris

Patrimoine classé
Place
Paris

Place Vendôme in Paris

    Place Vendôme
    75001 Paris
Photo de Place Vendôme in Paris

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1677
Initial aborted project
1685
Louvois project
1699
Inauguration place Louis-le-Grand
1792
Destruction statue Louis XIV
1810
Erection column Vendome
1871
Column drop during Commune
1893
Installation of Boucheron
1918
German bombardment
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

Jules Hardouin-Mansart - Architect Designed the square and its facades in 1699.
Louis XIV - King of France Central equestrian statue until 1792.
Napoléon Ier - Emperor Order the Vendôme column in 1810.
François Girardon - Sculptor Author statue Louis XIV.
Frédéric Boucheron - Joaillier First to settle in 1893.
César de Vendôme - Historical owner Son of Henry IV, give his name instead.

Origin and history

Place Vendôme, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, was designed in 1699 by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Originally named Place Louis-le-Grand, it replaces a mansion and a convent, inspired by the Place des Vosges with uniform facades and an equestrian statue of Louis XIV. This royal project, first public (library, hotel de la Monnaie), became a private operation in 1699, with private hotels behind strictly regulated facades.

The square, initially closed and reserved for an elite, opened in the 19th century with the piercing of the streets of Castiglione (1801) and Peace (1806), integrating Parisian traffic. The Vendôme column, erected in 1810 by Napoleon from molten enemy cannons, replaces the statue of Louis XIV destroyed during the Revolution. An imperial symbol, it was shot down in 1871 by the Communards before being restored in 1873.

In the 19th century, the square became the epicenter of luxury: jewellers like Boucheron (1893) or Cartier (1899), and designers like Worth, turned its hotels into showcases of world elegance. Today, it houses prestigious houses (Chanel, Dior, Rolex) and the Ministry of Justice (Hotel de Bourvallais, No. 13), while remaining a symbol of architectural and cultural excellence.

His name pays tribute to the hotel of Vendôme, formerly located on the site, property of Caesar of Vendôme, legitimized son of Henry IV and Gabrielle d'Estrées. The square, partially classified as historical monuments, embodies the royal fascist, revolutionary upheavals and the Haussmannian heritage, while being a recurrent cinematic place (e.g.: Place Vendôme de Nicole Garcia, 1998).

Architecturally, its uniform facades, broken roofs and skylights (replacing the original egg-eyes) illustrate the classic French ideal. The column, inspired by the Trajane column, celebrates Napoleonic victories with a helical bas-relief. Despite the destruction (1918: German bombing), the square retains its prestige, combining heritage and luxurious modernity.

Future

Place Vendôme is, with the rue de la Paix, the epicentre of Parisian elegance for half a century, with many designers, jewellers or modists.

External links

Page Wikipedia