It opens the way to the most beautiful avenue in the world! Place de la Concorde, at the start of the Champs-Elysées avenue , is surrounded by prestigious hotels and a 23-metre-high Luxor obelisk. The capital's largest square is also famous for its history. Datingback to the 18th century, it has lived through several historicperiods , from its inauguration in honor of King Louis XV in 1755 to the French Revolution in the midst of unrest. Read on to find out more!
Did you know that theobelisk on Place de la Concorde is the oldest monument in Paris? It was carved in the 13th century BC! The monument was then offered byEgypt to France in recognition of the work of Champollion, who was the first to translate hieroglyphics. It was transported to France in 1836, when King Louis-Philippe decided to erect it in the center of the square. Since then, the 23-metre-high column has been enthroned in the square, with a golden tip added to its pyramidal top in 1998.
In its early days, the famous Place de la Concorde was not known by this name. In fact, it has changed names at least 4 times! First it was called Place Louis XV (1748-1792), then Place de la Révolution (1792-1795). Between 1826-1828, the square was renamed again, this time to Place Louis XVI. And it was finally after this period, under the reign of King Louis-Philippe, that the square took on the definitive name of Place de la Concorde, which attracts many tourists today.
You may never have noticed the Roman numerals inscribed on the cobblestones of the Place de la Concorde, but they're important! They're part of one of the world's largest sundials! The Place de la Concorde is in fact a gigantic sundial, the pointer to which is represented by the obelisk at its center. In 1999, the Paris City Council gave the go-ahead for the sundial's hour lines to be drawn on the ground. In theory, if we rely on the shadows created by the sun, the square will tell us whattime it is! We'll let you try it out!
Location
Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
75008 Paris 8
