Designed
in 1755, this octagonal courtyard lies
between the Champs-Élysées
to the west and the Tuileries Gardens
to the east. Originally named Place Louis
XV to honor the then king, it was filled
with statues and fountains to make it
a place of beauty and peace in the middle
of Paris. Two buildings were added at
the north end, and they were to serve
as governmental offices, but one of them
was eventually made into the Hôtel
de Crillon.
During the French Revolution the statue
of King Louis XV was torn down and the
area renamed "Place de la Révolution".
Over 1300 heads were taken as the nobility
and members of the bourgeoisie were slaughtered
one by one using a guillotine erected
at the site. These heads included the
head of King Louis XVI and the head of
Marie Antoinette. Also reported to be
present were Madame du Barry, Danton,
Lavoisier, and Robespierre.
As
the revolution subsided it was renamed
“Place de la Concorde” (French
for concord) and in 1830 the name was
made official. It is hard to imagine the
bloody past of this magnificent space
just by looking at it. Still present is
the giant Egyptian obelisk decorated with
hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the
pharaoh Ramses II. Egypt presented the
3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk to France
in 1836, and King Louis-Philippe had it
placed in the centre of Place de la Concorde.
The red granite column rises 23 metres
high, including the base, and weighs over
250 tonnes. Missing its original cap,
believed stolen in the 6th century BC,
in 1998 the government of France added
a gold-leafed pyramid to the top of the
obelisk.
Place
De La Concorde Travel Links |
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