Place de la Concorde, Paris
Place de la Concorde
Address: Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris
Arrondissement: 8th arrondissement
Hours: Open year round. No set hours.
About the Place de la Concorde
This octagonal square is by far the largest in all of Paris. It holds a rich history dating back to the early 18th century. The Place de la Concorde was established when a large statue of King Louis XV was installed here in 1763 after he overcame a serious, almost deadly illness. A surrounding statue was added several years later, in 1772 to be exact, by architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel. The square was then called place Louis XV.
Several years later the French Revolution swept Paris. In 1792, the statue was replaced by a larger statue called “Liberte” or freedom and the square was dubbed place de la Revolution. A guillotine was also placed here. Over a short time period nearly 1,119 people were beheaded here including King Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and Robespierre. It was renamed several times until 1830 when the fitting name, Place de la Concorde stuck.
In the 19th century a 3200 year old obelisk from the temple of Ramses II at Thebes was added to the infamous square. Standing 23 meters tall and weighing nearly 230 tons, the pink granite piece was offered to Louis Philippe by the Viceroy of Egypt. Philippe obliged. The obelisk is covered with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs featuring stories of Ramses II and Ramses III. They also describe the transportation of the obelisk from Egypt to Paris.
As if that weren’t enough history stuffed into one spot, at each corner of the octagon a statue was placed from 1836 to 1846 when the site was redesigned by Jacob Ignaz Hittorf. Each represents a different French city: Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg. Two fountains, “La fontaine de Mers” and “Elevation of Martime” were also installed during these years by Hittorf.
Getting to Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde’s Concorde Station can be reached by metro lines 1, 8 or 12.
Here is a short guide to hotels near Place de la Concorde.
Located at 29 rue D’amsterdam, 3 star Hotel de la Fleche D’or offers fantastic quality for less. The 61 guest rooms offer relaxation with neutral decor and wooden furnishings. Amenities such as air conditioning, cable television, mini bars, in-room safes, hairdryers and telephones are in all rooms. The hotel is situated a stones throw from the Concorde and Liege tube stations. Rates for en-suite’s start at 47EUR per night.
Located at 38 rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, 4 star Hotel de Castiglione offers guests a wonderful stay. In the middle of the prestigious fashion and shopping, the hotel is close to many different sights and sounds including Place de la Concorde. It has recently been renovated and offers charm from the years it was built (in the 1930s) complete with elegant and modern amenities. The hotel is situated near the Concorde and Champs Elysees tube stations. Rates for a twin sole use room start at a low 95EUR per night.
Located at 3 rue de Montalembert, 4 star Hotel Montalembert is the ultimate in luxury. Built in 1926, it was dubbed as the very first boutique hotel in Paris. It, as well as the road it is situated on, was named after Charles Forbes Montalembert – a famous politician, writer and member of Academie Franse. The hotel offers top of the line amenities and dining. There are cozy nooks near the fireplace, terrace, restaurant and bar for guests to enjoy the views and their stay to the fullest. Single room rates start at 203EUR and include breakfast. The hotel is no further than a few kilometers from Place de la Concorde and has tube stations Concorde, Cite and Rue du Bac close by.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org
