General Information
Place de la Concorde, with its impressive size of 8.64 hectares, is the largest public square in Paris. It contains the famous Luxor Obelisk in its centre, flanked by Fontaines de la Concorde. It is the place where King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and several members of the aristocracy were guillotined during the French Revolution.
Additional Information
The Place de la Concorde is the focal point of many Parisian tourist attractions. To the west of the Place is the presentable Champs-Élysées, while to the east are the Tuileries Gardens. The Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume and the Musée de l’Orangerie, both in the Tuileries Gardens, border the Place. In the northern part of the square are the French Naval Ministry and the Hôtel de Crillon. The Rue Royale, which connects to the Place, leads to the Église de la Madeleine. The Embassy of the United States is located in the corner of the Place at the intersection of Avenue Gabriel and Rue Boissy d’Anglas. The north-eastern corner of the square is the western end of the Rue de Rivoli.
At each of the eight angles of the octagonal Place is a statue representing a French city: Brest and Rouen by Jean-Pierre Cortot, Lyon and Marseille by Pierre Petitot, Bordeaux and Nantes by Louis-Denis Caillouette, Lille and Strasbourg by James Pradier.
History: Highlights
Designed in 1755, the square was named Place Louis XV to honour the king at that time. During the Revolution it was renamed Place de la Révolution and executions were held there, particularly during the Reign of Terror. The square was then again renamed Place de la Concorde under the Directory as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation.
The Luxor Obelisk: Highlights
The obelisk once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple. The Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, Mehmet Ali, offered the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk to France in 1829. It arrived in Paris in 1833. Three years later, on 25 October 1836, King Louis Philippe had it placed in the centre of Place de la Concorde, where a guillotine stood during the Revolution.
The Luxor Obelisk: Explained
The obelisk, a red granite column, rises to the height of 23 metres, including the base, and weighs over 250 tonnes. Given the technical limitations of the day, transporting it was no easy feat – on the pedestal are drawn diagrams explaining the machinery that was used for the transportation. The obelisk is flanked on both sides by fountains constructed at the time of its erection on the Place.
Early morning on 1 December 1993, the French AIDS fighting society Act Up Paris carried out a fast and unannounced, commando-style operation. A giant pink condom was unrolled over the whole monument.
Fontaines de la Concorde: Highlights
The two fountains in the Place de la Concorde were designed by Jacques-Ignace Hittorff and erected in the reign of Louis-Philippe. The south fountain commemorates the maritime commerce and industry of France, while the north is dedicated to navigation and commerce on the rivers of France.
Fontaines de la Concorde: Explained
Both fountains have the same form: a stone basin; six figures of tritons or naiads holding fish spouting water; six seated allegorical figures, their feet on the prows of ships, supporting the pedestal; four statues of different forms of genius in arts or crafts; whose water shoots up and then cascades down.