Known as Place Louis XV until the Revolution, Place de la Concorde's initial purpose was to serve as the setting for a grandiose equestrian statue of Louis XV and the starting point of the Champ-Elysées Avenue. The great 18^th-century architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel drew up plans to fill the then-vacant area with an open space and a pair of symmetrical palaces at the northern end. His vision of an octagon can still be made out, despite numerous changes. A kind of moat surrounded the square, with six bridges for crossing over and a stone railing. During the 19^th century, prostitutes congregated in the moat until it was filled in 1852. Gabriel also designed the two palaces, which fulfilled several functions over the years. Today, one of them houses the Ministry of the Navy, the other the Hotel Crillon.

An equestrian statue of Louis XV stood in the center. Began by Edme Bouchardon, the monument was finished by his friend Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (today's Place Pigalle was named after him) and inaugurated in 1763. The statue faced east, towards the city and the Tuileries. On August 11, 1792, the day after the abolition of the French monarchy, it was pulled down by a mob. The center of the square remained empty until King Louis-Philippe erected the obelisk in 1836.

Louis-Philippe made several changes bringing the square closer to what we see today. The first was the obelisk, offered by Mehmet Ali, the Egyptian pasha. The 23-meter high, 230-ton granite needle, which dates back to the 12 th century B.C., was brought from the Temple of Ramses. It took four hours to set it up on the pedestal as the royal family looked on from one of the Navy Ministry's balconies.

Click here to read Serban Brebenel's feature on Place Vendôme.
Click here to read Serban Brebenel's feature on Place Charles de Gaulle.

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This article is republished with the authorization of Paris Eiffel Tower News - a great guide for a Paris vacation. Copyright (c) 2004 Paris Eiffel Tower News - All rights reserved.