Quick History of the Place de la Concorde in Paris

Quick History of the Place de la Concorde in Paris

The Place de la Concorde is one of my favorite places to take friends and family that have never been to Paris before. It’s a great place to snap some photos of major landmarks such as the Louvre, Tuileries Garden, the Champs Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and the place itself. It’s a wonderful perspective of the city!

Located in the 8th arrondissement, a little bit to the west of the center of the city, the Place de La Concorde is the largest square in Paris, and the second largest in France, second only to the Place de Quinconces in Bordeaux.

This part of Paris has been through a lot throughout the years, so if you’re interested in learning more about the history of the Place de La Concorde in Paris, read on!

The Place de la Concorde’s early years

Ange-Jacques Gabriel’s original plan for the Place Louis XV – WikiCommons

The Place de la Concorde was built between 1757 and 1779. It was originally named the Place Louis XV in honor of the French king. It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the same architect responsible for the Petit Trianon at Versailles (one of my favorite parts of the castle!).

In the 18th century, the place was an octagon that houses fountains and statues and was surrounded by a small moat! A fancy square for a fancy king, of course. In the center of the square, there was a massive statue of King Louis XV on a horse.

On each side of the square, two identical buildings were constructed. After passing through the hands of several royal and nobel owners, the Comte de Crillon purchased one of the buildings. Today, it is the luxurious Hôtel de Crillon, named after the count.

The Place de la Concorde during the French Revolution

The execution of Louis XVI in January 1793 by Isidore Stanislas Helman – WikiCommons

The French Revolution began in 1789, and swept the country by storm. The effects of the Revolution were most strongly felt in Paris, the capital. First, Revolutionaries stormed the Bastille prison, freeing several inmates and stealing weapons and ammunition.

Eventually, the king and queen were captured and placed in a different prison. The Revolutionaries in charge decided to start chopping off people’s heads with the infamous guillotine. I think most of you already know this story!

The Revolutionaries needed a determined spot in Paris to take care of all of these beheadings. They also wanted it to be a public place, so that French citizens could watch the beheadings themselves. You can think of this as a way that the people of France could stand in solidarity, or as a scare tactic used by the Revolutionaries. It honestly could go either way!

Painting of an execution by guillotine, Place de la Révolution by Pierre-Antoine Demachy – WikiCommons

In 1789, the grand statue of King Louis XV was swiftly torn down. Place Louis XV was changed to the Place de la Révolution, and a guillotine was installed. King Louis XVI was executed there in 1793. Other famous figures that were guillotined in the Place de la Révolution were Queen Marie-Antoinette, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, and Maximilien Robespierre. In total, 1,200 people were killed.

An interesting account from the time period says that while the humans in Paris were glad to see corrupt monarchs and nobles be guillotined, the animals of the city weren’t too crazy about what was going on. Due to all of the blood that was soaking into the mud in the square, horses were known to refuse to enter the area. I tend to agree with the horses in this situation.

The Place de la Concorde becomes a place of harmony

Paris, Place de la Concorde in the 19th century by Auktionshaus Zeller – WikiCommons

In 1795, the Reign of Terror brought on by the French Revolution came to an end, and the city decided that the square needed a new name to reflect the change in attitude in France. Enter: the Place de la Concorde that you’ll recognize from today! Concorde can be translated as harmony in English.

After the Revolution, Paris underwent some changes in general, which included the Place de la Concorde. When King Louis Philippe (you read that right, monarchs came back for a little while in the years following the revolution) received a giant Egyptian obelisk in 1836, he decided that this impressive gift needed an equally impressive home. Renovations on the square began in 1836 and went on until 1840.

The obelisk was a gift from the Egyptian government, and King Louis Philippe wanted to honor the act of generosity. The obelisk itself is 3,300 years old, and was originally used to mark the entrance to the Luxor Temple. It is decorated with hieroglyphics that depict the reign of the pharaoh Ramesses II.

The pedestal of the obelisk features a carved diagram that explains how to use the machinery that was used to transport the obelisk from Egypt to Paris. As you can imagine, a task like this was fairly complicated in the mid-19th century.

The obelisk was missing its cap, the French government installed a golden replacement in 1998.

The Place de la Concorde’s design and architectural features 

Fontaine de la place de la Concorde, with Eiffel Tower in the background, Paris, France by Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz

King Louis Philippe was really passionate about redesigning the Place de la Concorde. Also during the 1830s, he commissioned two fountains to be built, which you can still see today!

The king hired an architect named Jacques Hittorff to get the job done. He had previously worked as the official architect of the Festivals and Ceremonies for the King, so Louis Philippe knew that he would design something that reflected the grandeur of French royalty.

Additionally, he studied fountain design in Italy for two years before beginning the project. As you can imagine, the fountains are heavily influenced by the Italian neoclassical style.

Each fountain represents something related to, not surprisingly, water. The fountain to the north depicts the Rhone and Rhine Rivers, and is in honor of the rivers of France. It also celebrates the tradition of harvesting flowers and fruits, the genius required for navigation, and the handwork that goes into agriculture in general.

The fountain to the south depict the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans. This fountain celebrates the harvesting of coral and fish, and there are nods to industry and astronomy.

Statue of the town of Strasbourg by James Pradier – WikiCommons

There are also eight important statues that surround the square. Each statue represents a major French city:

• Lille and Strasbourg, designed by James Pradier
• Bordeaux and Nantes, designed by Louis-Denis Caillouette
• Lyon and Marseille, designed by Pierre Petitot
• Brest and Rouen, designed by Jean-Pierre Cortot

Conclusion

The Place de la Concorde is surrounded by architectural beauties such as the Louvre, the Tuileries Garden, the Champs Élysées, and offers a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Why not start your day in Paris here, and see where it takes you?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short history lesson, and have some ideas for some great photos. If you’d like to learn more about this special square in Paris, I encourage you to join our Paris Landmarks tour!

If you’re looking for even more Paris history, click here to view all of our touring options!