Place Des Vosges is the oldest monument in Paris. Place Des Vosges is basically a square, enclosed by as many as 36 historical houses, belonging to the French royal family. Originally known as the "Place Royale", the Place Des Vosges was constructed between 1605 and 1612, by Henri IV. In spite of being an important Parisian monument, Place Des Vosges is considered to be the first city planning project, where the buildings were characterized by symmetrical designs, gates facing each other and ground floor passageways.
Facts about Place Des Vosges
Place Des Vosges in Paris symbolize the first royal urban planning in Europe. Located on the Hôtel des Tournelles site and its surrounding garden area, the inauguration of
Place Des Vosges arcade took place in 1612, to commemorate the marriage of Anne of Austria and the French King Louis XIII. In the initial stages, the
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front portions of all the buildings had similar designs, made of red brick and stone quoin strips placed over the doomed arcades on the squarish pillars. The arch-shaped windows with small panes found on the cornices, pierce the bluish-slate roofs of Place Des Vosges. The northern part of the monument has arched ceilings, with the galleries situated therein. Two pavilions are constructed towards the northern and southern centers of the monument in such a way that they rise above the main roof and is a connection between different parts of the Place Des Vosges through three arches.
However, with passing time, the Place Des Vosges underwent substantial structural changes, for being transformed into a French aristocratic urban residential area, rather than a mere monument and residence of the French royal classes. At the center of the Place Des Vosges square, there is an bronze equestrian statue of the French King Louis XIII, built under the initiative of Cardinal Richelieu.
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