Paris - Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges, in the eastern part of the Marais, is Paris's oldest public square, spaciously laid out in harmoniously uniform style, which provided a model for other squares such as Place Dauphine by the Pont Neuf, Place Vendôme and Place de la Concorde. The construction of the square, then known as Place Royale, between 1605 and 1612 confirmed the position of the Marais as an elegant aristocratic residential quarter. Designed by an unknown architect in the symmetrical form favored by Renaissance architecture, with uniform houses of red brick and light-colored stone faced with stucco, the square was a magnificent setting for festive occasions - tournaments, splendid state receptions, court weddings. It was also a favorite spot for duels, in spite of Cardinal Richelieu's ban on duelling. At No. 11 lived Marion Delorme, a celebrated courtesan of Louis XIII's reign whose salon attracted renowned men of letters of the day. At No. 1 the future Madame de Sévigné was born in 1626. At the end of the 17th century the great preacher Bossuet lived at No. 17. In the center of the north side of the square, standing higher than the other houses, is the Pavillon de la Reine, and in the corresponding position on the south side is the Pavillon du Roi, bearing the initials of Henri IV. Under each of these royal residences is an arch giving access to the square from outside. The other 38 houses in the square were privately owned.

In the reign of Louis XIV the Place Royale suffered a decline in status. In 1800 it was renamed Place des Vosges in honor of the département of the Vosges, which had been the first département to pay its taxes to the French Republic.

Carefully restored in 1987-89, the Place des Vosges, with its trees and fountains, now serves mainly as a children's playground and a pleasant meeting-place for the people of the Marais. In the arcades round the square are small antique shops, galleries and cafes.