Place de Furstemberg, Paris

Place de Furstemberg in Paris

Just recently I spent time again in the tiny charming Place de Furstemberg in Paris with its romantic lamp posts and elegant boutiques. Located in the bustling heart of Saint-German-des-Prés, just behind Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the famous cafes Les Deux Magots,  Café de Flore and le Bonaparte cafe, this tiny place is a photographer's delight. While I wandered around this very sweet square and ducked into a couple of the boutiques, my son chatted to a very friendly artist who was sketching the square. He said he had been sketching for a few days - and we could understand why - his artwork was so intricate and realistic, the beautiful square seemed to come to life on his sketchpad!

While Place de Furstemberg is technically not a place or a square, (the city of Paris officially calls it rue de la Furstemberg) - it is commonly referred to as a place or square because a small roundabout has been created for traffic and trees placed on the roundabout. There were four evenly placed Pawlonia trees, but one has been recently removed leaving only three trees remaining. This is why you may see photos online or on social media differing with four or three trees in the photos. Along with the ornate elegant lamp posts and twinkling lights at night, this rue or place oozes Parisian charm. Autumn is rather special also with the dazzling autumnal coloured trees and their fallen leaves creating a whimsical ground covering.

History of Place de Furstemberg

Place de Furstenberg sits in what used to be the first Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey, built in the 6th century by Childebert I. The history of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés Abbey is complex. After its initial construction, and up until the late 17th century, the Abbey covered most of the land that is known as the Saint Germain area. Over time buildings were destroyed, re-built and repurposed - even as a gunpowder warehouse. After the Revolution most of the monastic buildings were destroyed. 

The specific area of Place de Furstemberg was the foreground to the entrance of the Abbatial Palace which was constructed in 1586. After extensions to the Palace in 1691 these buildings were the coach houses and servant's quarters. The Abbatial Palace with its beautiful pink facade can be seen on rue de l’Abbaye, which runs perpendicularly to Rue de Furstenberg.

Now there are nice boutiques surrounding the square with their front windows and balconies overlooking the roundabout. Compagnie Française des Poivres et des Epices is a spice store steeped in history which has proudly been located at 7 rue de Furstemberg for decades.

It is in the heart of this legendary place in Paris (Place de Furstemberg) that the Compagnie Française des Poivres et des Epices was born. - Compagnie Française des Poivres et des Epices

Eugène Delacroix lived at rue de Furstemberg

Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school. He used to live at Place de Furstemberg and you'll find his former house, which now houses the Musée National Eugène Delacroix, also known as the Musée Delacroix, at 6 rue de Furstemberg. 

The art museum is dedicated solely to Delacroix and has recently undergone extensive renovations. What I love most about the museum is the secret garden at the back of his former house where you can enjoy sitting in the sunshine or under shady trees in your own hidden little garden in the heart of Paris.

The Musée National Eugène-Delacroix is housed in an apartment and studio in the central Paris neighbourhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) lived and worked for several years and where he died in 1863. The studio-museum pays tribute to one of the greatest artists of the 19th century and provides a singular insight into his work. The museum was inaugurated in 1932. It owes its existence to the Society of Friends of Eugène Delacroix, comprising artists such as Maurice Denis and Paul Signac who arranged for Delacroix’s last home to be turned into a museum. The Musée National Eugène-Delacroix was affiliated with the Louvre in 2004. -Louvre.fr

Delacroix moved to Place de Furstemberg to be nearer to the Eglise Saint-Sulpice, which he had been commissioned to decorate. Delacroix is buried along with other famous artists, writers, intellectuals and politicians in the largest cemetery in Paris, the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Useful Information

• Location: Latin quarter, Paris - rue de Furstemberg, 75006, Paris
• Closest Métro station: Mabillon (line 10)
• Nearby attractions: Musée Delacroix, Les Deux Magots, Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Le Bonaparte cafe (42 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris)

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