Place des Vosges - The Oldest Square in Paris
Place des Vosges is famously one of the most elegant residential squares in Paris. It’s an exclusive and much sought after address with its distinctive red and sand coloured stone and tile matching buildings, with large windows that overlook its beautiful enclosed park.
While living in this prestigious and glamorous Square is not possible for the majority of us; the park with its fountain, playground, large trees and manicured lawns are available for anyone to enjoy. Peaceful all year round, but particularly charming in spring and autumn, I love to visit Place des Vosges when in Paris.
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One of the Five Royal Squares in Paris
Place des Vosges was built during a period of unmatched city development instigated by Henri IV. Before the Square was completed, Henri IV ordered the Place Dauphine to be laid out and within only a five year span, the king oversaw additions to the Louvre Palace, the Pont Neuf, and the Hôpital Saint Louis as well as these two royal squares - Place des Vosges and Place Dauphine.
One of the five royal Squares in Paris, the Place des Vosges was originally the Place Royale, and is the oldest planned Square in Paris. Located in the Marais district and sitting in both the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, it has a long history. This includes being the home of royalty, a site of royal commerce, a theatre and home to famous writers and it now even hosts a museum.
Named Palais des Tournelles, it was the royal residence of Henri II who lived here until (if you know your French history well) he famously died as a result of injuries received during a tournament. What a way to die! His widowed wife, Catherine de Mèdicis, then abandoned the palace and eventually had it destroyed.
Place des Vosges Becomes the Hub for Silk Production
Much later, Henri IV established a silk factory on the site in an attempt to boost the Parisian economy and compete with the craftsmen and artisans of Milan. In 1605 to further promote the industry, Henri IV then decreed that the Square’s buildings should be lined with the identical brick and stone that we see today. His grand plan was for the artisans to live on the top floors, operative their factories on the middle floor and sell their goods in the arcades at ground level. This was the birth of the Place Royal and its promising silk trade. However, it was not to be. The silk trade declined rapidly, and the factory was destroyed.
It was not much later that further structural changes were made when the northern buildings were subdivided to match the other sides of the Square, leaving all but the Queen’s Pavilion un-subdivided. While there are pavilions named the Pavilion of the King and Pavilion of the Queen, no royal has ever lived in the aristocratic square for any length of time, except for Anne of Austria who lived in the Pavilion de la Reine (Queen’s Pavilion) for a short while.
Place des Vosges becomes an address for aristocrats and then middle-class residents
The Square was inaugurated in 1612 and hosted the theatre festival in celebration of the betrothal of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria. The regal event was attended by nobles who sung the praise of the beautiful location and from then on, it was a popular place for aristocrats to choose to live.
Further along history’s timeline we come to the Revolution, and the Square saw changes again with noble families evicted and their properties seized. And from around 1800 onwards, it was a more middle-class demographic that inhabited the Place. It was renamed “des Vosges” as a signal to others that the Vosges department of Paris was now paying taxes, and this name has remained.
Amongst the famous home owners of Place des Vosges, Victor Hugo - One of the Greatest French Writers is right up there. Living at number 6 from 1832 to 1848, his home is now a museum dedicated to the illustrious writer. Cardinal Richelieu, Madame de Sévigné, Alphonse Daudet, and Téophile Gautier also lived in the Place.
Easy to find, Place des Vosges is only a short walk from either the Chemin Vert (line 8), Bréguet-Sabin (line 5), or Bastille (lines 1,5 and 8) metro stations. It was on one of my walks from Bastille station to Place des Vosges that I met the sweetest old lady in her dressing gown and soft shoes who reminded me of my own grandmother. Read more about this wonderful encounter with 'Madame Bastille' in my post The Best Paris Surprises Ever.
Place des Vosges has something for everyone to enjoy. Children have playground equipment and fountains to enjoy, adults love to stroll the paths and dine in nearby cafes and I've seen many couples taking romantic photos with the beautiful stone and tile buildings as a backdrop.
I love to take a little picnic and read my book in the sun on the grass, and buy an ice-cream from nearby vendors in summer. As you can see from all my photos, I also like to capture this glamorous Square in photos.
To find out more about Maison Victor Hugo, check out the official museum website for visiting hours and ticket information.
Address: the Place straddles the dividing line of the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, 75003 and 75004 Paris
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