Place des Vosges – Paris' first public square

There are quite a few attractions in Paris that I have written about in the past, but a few of them have influenced the character of the City of Lights in such a way that without them Paris, as we know it, could not have developed. One of these attractions was the revolutionary Pont de l'Eglise.Von Nef, who brought sidewalks to Paris and the concept of bridges without houses. Today we will tell the story of Place des Vosges, the oldest public square in Paris, which started the trend of public squares.

The history of Place des Vosges

The story of the square begins with tragedy. In 1559, King Henry II of France announced his intention to hold a knightly tournament as part of the celebrations of the peace treaty that had just been signed with Spain. Since the king loved sports very much, he decided to participate in this competition himself, despite the entreaties of his wife, Catherine de Medici (Catherine de Medicis) that he would not do so.

The reason for her concern was the prophecy of Nostradamus (1503-1566 Michel de Nostredame) that the king would be killed in this tournament. Indeed, at the end of June 1559, the tournament of knights was held at the Palais de Tournelles, which is located on the east side of Paris near theBastilleDuring one of the battles, the wooden spear of his opponent Montgomery broke and its fragments penetrated the king's eye, mortally wounding him. After several days of slow death, the king died on July 10, 1559. Catherine de Medici, overcome by grief over the death of her beloved husband, decided to destroy the palace and move to The LouvreAnd so for several decades the complex stood idle and was used mainly for battles. Duel.

Several decades and a severe civil war passed, which left Paris in ruins. The war finally ended with the Treaty of Nantes In 1598, Henry IV decided it was time to rebuild Paris. One of his goals was to restore the economy of Paris, and since silk was one of the most expensive fabrics of his time, the king decided to encourage this industry, and along the way, give Paris its first public square.

It may sound amazing, but until that time Paris had no public square where Parisians could rest or stroll (the only squares that existed until then were markets, church squares, or large intersections of streets). So in August 1603, Henry IV approached some of the richest industrialists in Paris and offered them the land where the Palais de Tournelles once stood, titles of nobility, and exemption from taxes. In return, the king asked that they establish a silk industry that would last at least until 4.

The work progressed rapidly and by 1605 a silk factory was already in place where Italian craftsmen taught the French the essence of the profession. In July 1606, the king decided to turn the buildings that housed the silk industry into a square and even named it the “Royal Square” (Place Royal). According to the king’s decree, the purpose of the square was to decorate Paris, provide a suitable place for royal ceremonies (thanks to its proximity to the eastern gate of Paris) and provide the inhabitants of Paris with a place for leisure.

This was a revolutionary decision because for the first time in the history of Paris, not only the aesthetic but also the practical aspects of the square were taken into account when planning. The basis of the square was the buildings of the silk industry located on its eastern side, to which were added three more pavilions (pavilions) of nine arcades each, the construction of which was completed in 3.

So who lives in the square?

Each resident of the square was allowed to design the interior of his house as he wished, but he had to maintain a uniform facade, which gives the square its harmonious structure and was probably designed by Androuet de Cerceau. Despite the name of the square, there was initially nothing royal about it and it was inhabited by a population of industrialists involved in the silk industry and other businessmen. However, it soon became clear that the silk industry in the square was failing and in 1615, after the franchise expired, the population of the square began to change and the business owners were replaced by nobles.

Among the nobles who lived in the square was the famous literary figure the Marquise de Savigny, who was born in house number 1bis and later moved toCarnival Palace Nearby. Another interesting figure was the Duke de Richelieu (Armand du Plessis duc de Richelieu 1696-1788), who lived at number 21. Richelieu was considered the greatest lover of the 18th century, alongside Casanova, and according to his claim, he had sex with all the women who lived in this square (later he was also associated with the invention of mayonnaise, and you are welcome to read about that). HERE).

Number 6 on the square belonged to the princes of the Rohan-Guémené family and is considered one of the largest houses on the square. About 200 years after the house was built, Victor Hugo moved in and today you can find there Small and free museum Dedicated to his memory. Several famous women also lived in the square. The first was the courtesan Marione de Lorme (1613-1650), whose house at number 11 was known as one of the most important literary salons of her time.

Number 9 was home to the Jewish actress Rachel Felix (1821-1858), who was considered the greatest tragic actress of her time (although she could not read or write, she could easily recite plays by Racine and others). Her funeral procession began from there after she died at the age of 37 from tuberculosis, a journey that ended in the Jewish section of the Père Lachaise cemetery.

In the center of the square, the first public garden in the history of Paris was established, and in 1639, a statue of Louis XIII was placed there, which was destroyed during the French Revolution (The current statue dates from 1829.) The public garden became a favorite recreation area for all Parisians, who enjoyed walking among the trees and lying on the grass. However, at certain times the park also witnessed less peaceful events. For example, during the Fronde riots (1648-1652), the garden became a parade ground for the forces of the city of Paris, who rebelled against the king and Cardinal Mazarin.

The nobility, who, as mentioned, took control of the square, did not like the fact that the people were walking around under their feet and decided to build a fence around the garden in order to separate the public area from the private one. During the reign of Louis XIV, a ceremonial touch was added to the square, when every time someone important entered the city, he would enter through a gate. Bastille and passes through it. One of the most famous visits to the square was that of Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689), who arrived at the square in September 1656 riding a white horse and accompanied by an army of soldiers dressed in magnificent uniforms.

The square was used not only for public events but also for private parties. For example, in 1659, when the Marquis de Montbrun (Pierre de Bellegarde marquis de Montbrun), who lived at number 19, decided to sell the property and throw a farewell party for his friends, he lit the square with some 2000 candles and staged one of the most spectacular fireworks displays in Paris.

Place des Vosges today

The success of the square led to the growth of Marais District and its transformation, according to a German travel guide printed in the 17th century, into “the most fun place in Paris.” The result was the construction of city mansions (Hotel Particulier) such as the Carnaval, Hotel de Soleil, Hotel de Soubise And more. At the end of the 18th century, the square changed its name from the Royal Square to the Place des Vosges, after the district that was the first to pay taxes to the French Republic that was born following the Revolution of 1789.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a Jewish angle was added to the square, when in 1963 a synagogue opened at number 14. 23 years later, the square also appeared on the French gastronomy map thanks to the restaurant  Ambrosia, which has three Michelin stars, opened here in 1986 and is considered one of the most beautiful restaurants in Paris. And so, even after about 400 years since it was created, the square retains its vitality and charm and continues to be one of the attractions in Paris that you should not miss.

Some of the photos in the article are courtesy of Ruth Shimoni.