Typically Parisian, Place Vendôme nevertheless remains one of the most secret places in Paris. Who is to blame? The biggest jewellers in the world - Cartier, Chanel, Van Cleef and Boucheron. They made room for beautiful jewellery showcases. To learn about the secrets of Place Vendôme, you are just a short walk away from your hotel room. An octagonal treasure with 5 marvellous secrets is right in front of you!
Secret #1: This square is Napoleon vs. Louis XIV! Yes, the Sun King, or at least his statue, was removed by the Corsican emperor.
Secret #2: Then the Fleur de Lys, symbol of the royal Bourbon family, was put back on top of the column momentarily before it was replaced permanently by a statue of Napoleon as Caesar, which you see today.
Secret #3: It was Mansart, the architect of Versailles (and thus of Louis XIV) who designed the neoclassical perfection of Place Vendôme, a perfectly symmetrical octagon.
Secret #4: But the column placed in the middle of Place Vendôme was casted during the French Revolution in 1792, taking advantage of the bronze of no less than 1,200 canons snatched from the enemy.
Secret #5: but the melted military bronze was soon replaced by fabulous diamonds, rubies and emeralds! With the Second French Empire, the square was filled with the biggest French and international jewellery stores.
5 Secrets about Place Vendôme!
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in Visit Paris