Place+de+la+Concorde

=Place de la Concorde=

Many people have named the Place de la Concorde for peace and harmony. It is the greatest well-known place in Paris for happy and sad national gatherings. Before, the place was meant to hold a Louis XV statue, which was commissioned in 1748 by the city. Architect Jacques Ange Gabriel began the construction of the Place de la Concorde in the form of an octagon from 1754-1763. The great contradictions of French history are summed up here.

A large statue called 'The Liberte' replaced the statue of Louis XV in 1792, during the French Revolution. The square was eventually renamed the Place de la Revolution. During the following couple of years after a guillotine was constructed in the center, many people were beheaded. Famous people including King Louis XVI, Marie Antionette, and Robespierre were all beheaded right in the center of the Place de la Concorde, or what they called it then, the Place de la Revolution. In 1830, the place was officially and finally renamed back to the Place de la Concorde.

Currently, the Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris. It's settled in between the Tulleries Gardens and the beginning of the Boulevard Champs Elyśees. In the center stands the Obelisk, which is 230 tons and stands 22.83 meters (75 ft.). The Obelisk was constructed in 1833. Fountains which were built in the same time period, surround the sides of the Obelisk. Statues are located at each corner of the main octagon shape. Each represent the great Freach cities of Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Brest, and Rouen. The Place de la Concorde, many say, is such a beautiful place in Paris, and is a great place to relax!