Place des Vosges is a square that will strike you with the harmony and colour of the buildings surrounding it. It’s a real jewel of the Marais district, made of beautiful arcades, art galleries and truly characterful shops. The model on which it was built is that of the “enclosed square”: Place des Vosges is entirely surrounded by pavilions that make it an intimate, sheltered space.
Do you want to discover the most beautiful squares in Paris?
Then you really should start right here, not only for the beauty of the place, but also for its history, because Place des Vosges in Paris is far more than just a square.
Inside it, at number 6, is the house of Victor Hugo, today a free museum open all year round. And a short walk away, in the Marais, there are other beautiful and equally free museums, like the Musée Carnavalet dedicated to the history of Paris. What’s more, this is the perfect starting point to visit the Jewish quarter of Paris, with its distinctive Rue des Rosiers, full of shops and where you can taste the best falafel in the world.
Fancy knowing a little more about this square and its history?
Let’s go!
The history of Place des Vosges
You may already have guessed, but Place des Vosges in Paris is one of my favourite places in the French capital. Maybe it’s its calm, relaxed atmosphere, or the harmony you breathe within it, but I’m more than sure you’ll fall in love with it too at first sight.
Did you know the square has more than 400 years of history?
Before the square existed, this was the site of the Hôtel des Tournelles, a great medieval royal palace. It was abandoned after a dramatic event: in 1559, during a knightly tournament right in this area, King Henry II was wounded in the eye by a lance and died a few days later. His widow, Catherine de’ Medici, wanted nothing more to do with that palace and had it demolished.
And then?
It was Henry IV who gave the place new life: in 1605 he decided to build the first royal square in Paris here. The works, attributed to the architects Baptiste du Cerceau and Louis Métezeau, were completed in 1612 and the square was inaugurated as the Place Royale. Henry IV, however, never got to see it finished: he had been assassinated in 1610.
The idea of surrounding the square with identical buildings was his own. The pavilions look onto an inner garden, which is what today is the square.
Not bad, right?
It’s one of the first examples of “urban planning” in the world: the square was built with a deliberate compositional unity. The buildings are all in the same style, in red brick and white stone and, if you look carefully, you can even count them: there are 36 pavilions, 9 on each side.
Here’s a fun fact!
At the centre of Place des Vosges stands the equestrian statue of Louis XIII, the father of the famous “Sun King” who built Versailles. The square, in fact, was inaugurated in 1612 for this sovereign’s engagement to Anne of Austria, with a grand carousel of knights. The original statue, however, was melted down by the revolutionaries: the one you see today is a marble copy made by Jean-Pierre Cortot and placed here in 1825.
Over time the square became an important cultural centre: not only the most fashionable spot for the French aristocracy, but also the setting for shows, duels and tournaments.
At least until the French Revolution!
Why is it called Place des Vosges?
I’ve just told you that for nearly two centuries this square was called the Place Royale: so why is it now called Place des Vosges?
Quite simply, because of the French Revolution: the current name is post-revolutionary.
The anti-monarchist revolutionaries certainly couldn’t tolerate the place keeping its “royal” name. After a few name changes, in 1800 Napoleon definitively renamed it “square of the Vosges”, in honour of the Vosges department, the first to pay its taxes to the Republic.
A kind of official recognition of that region’s civic spirit.
Victor Hugo’s house at Place des Vosges
One of the greatest French writers, Victor Hugo, also loved Place des Vosges.
We know it for certain because he lived at number 6 for a full 16 years: from 1832 to 1848 he resided in one of these splendid pavilions, where he worked on some of his most famous works, including parts of Les Misérables.
I absolutely recommend visiting Victor Hugo’s house in Paris: entry to the permanent collection is free (you only pay for temporary exhibitions). Inside you’ll find objects, furniture and mementos belonging to the great writer, but also Chinese porcelain and drawings he made himself.
Place des Vosges today
As I told you, it’s one of the oldest squares in Paris and today it sits in the heart of the Marais, a lively, bustling district. When you step in among the arcades and the red pavilions, you feel as if you’re crossing into another world, thanks to the garden and the calm that reigns there.
Under the arcades you’ll find some of the most elegant restaurants in Paris, antique and craft shops and beautiful boutiques. And strolling through Place des Vosges it’s not unusual to come across very talented street artists, tenors and sopranos singing wonderful operatic pieces to bring “opera to the street”.
Yes, the acoustics of this square are truly spectacular too.
Here’s something not everyone knows!
One of the doors opening onto the square leads to the inner courtyard of the beautiful Hôtel de Sully. Entry is free, because it’s a passageway, and it’s very well kept: if you’re lucky enough to find a nice day and feel like relaxing, I recommend it.
And if you want to keep discovering the most beautiful Paris? Take a look at the Petit Palais (also free), the Sainte-Chapelle and the hill of Montmartre.
