Vendôme Square

This is one of the masterpiece works of Jules Hardouin - Mansart (who once designed Victory Square). The square is named after the duke Vendôme event that once lived here. It was built between 1687 and 1720 revolving around a statue of a horsebacker Girardo made to offer to King Louis XIV.

Then, like many other buildings, it was destroyed during the revolution. This is a perfect model of simple and rustic art style. This square is octagonal and has surrounding buildings. The ground floor of the buildings is the large arched doors, the walls are cleverly arranged on the front of the building and the roof above is a belt of attic windows. The square is so bold that when you look at it, people realize that it is a combination of Parisian spirit and style.

Today, there are important buildings: the famous Ritz Hotel at No. 15, Chopin died in 1892 at the house number 12 and the residence of Euginia de Montijo, Napoleon De III's future wife.In the middle of the square is the famous pillar built by Gondouin and Lepere between 1860 and 1810 to commemorate Napoleon the First. The pillar simulating the Trajan column in Rome. It is 145 feet tall (44.15m) and around the body of the column is a series of low reliefs arranged in a spiraling path. They were cast according to 1200 clerical figures in Austerlitz.

The sculptor Bergert sought to pass on the posterity later. At the top of the Anoine Denise Chauset column erected a statue of Napoleon Emperor I in 1814 that was destroyed and replaced by the statue of King Henry IV. Then in 1863 a statue of Napoleon was placed in the old position but 8 years later in the commune period (when the voice of the great painter Gustave vourbet was very weight), the statue was pulled down again. Again. But it was only replaced once, even though years later the reconstructed Napoleon was just a copy.