Nestled in the middle of downtown Paris amongst ancient monuments, the Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre Church, stunning Haussmann buildings and the flowing waters of the Seine, is a little park named Square René Viviani. It's bordered by the Quai de Montebello, rue Saint-Julien le Pauvre and rue Lagrange in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, the heart of the Latin Quarter, 

Square René Viviani - The Little Park in the Middle of Paris

Square René Viviani is right opposite Notre Dame de Paris, but is often missed by the general throng of tourists. For that I'm rather glad too, because it's a lovely little park that is mostly quiet, except for its Christmas markets which are well-loved since relocating from Parvis de Notre Dame de Paris since the 2019 fire. We'll see if the markets return to Notre Dame Square later this year.

Why is René Viviani Honoured with a Park Named After Him?

The Square is a tribute to René Viviani who was a French lawyer and politician that lived between 1863 to 1925. Viviani is remembered as France's first Minister of Labour. He also importantly became President of the Council in August 1914, and it was in that capacity that he signed the "General Mobilisation Order" on Sunday, 2 August 1914.