Vendôme Square（place Vendôme）

in the 17th century

La Place Vendôme à Paris, en 1734
Vendôme Square（place Vendôme） in Paris according to the Turgot Plan（Plan de Turgot） in .

Vendôme Square in the Paris of the 17th century

The Vendôme Square（place Vendôme） had a very different face before the opening of the Rivoli Street（rue de Rivoli） made in only .

The square was first constructed in a square form.

This form is considered too rigid; in , part of the facades was torn down and then rebuilt, in 1701, in the present octagonal form. They are the work of the architect Jules-Hardouin MANSART.

Looking closely at the Turgot Plan, the place appears to be much calmer than actually:

on the Tuileries side, The Castiglione Street（rue de Castiglione） (fig. 1),

on the Opéra side, the Paix Street（rue de la Paix） in fig.&nbsp2, has not yet been pierced.

La Place Vendôme à Paris, côté rue Castiglione, en 1734
fig.&nbsp1. Prior to the puncture of Castiglione Street（rue de Castiglione）, access from Saint-Honoré Street（rue Saint-Honoré） in .

The access is only by:

the Saint-Honoré Street（rue Saint-Honoré） on the Tuileries side (fig.&nbsp1 above),

and the Capucines Street（rue des Capucines） on the Opéra side (fig.&nbsp2 below).

La Place Vendôme à Paris, côté rue de la Paix, en 1734
fig.&nbsp2. Prior to the puncture of Paix Street（rue de la Paix）, access from Capucines Street（rue des Capucines）

It could not be passed through as since the 19th century.

On the Opera（Opéra） side, at the location of the current Paix Street（rue de la Paix）, was the convent of the Capucines（couvent des Capucines） (fig.&nbsp3).

Le second couvent des Capucines, Place Vendôme à Paris, 1705
fig.&nbsp3. Prior to the puncture of Paix Street（rue de la Paix）, the second Convent of the Capucines（couvent des Capucines） dating of .

Madame de Pompadour was buried, as was her mother and sister, in the church.

In front, on the Tuileries' side, another portal, the portal of convent of the Capucines（couvent des Capucines） was responding to it (fig.&nbsp4).

le portail du couvent des Feuillants, Place Vendôme à Paris, 1754
fig.&nbsp4. Prior to the puncture of Castiglione Street（rue de Castiglione）, the portal of convent of the Feuillants（couvent des Feuillants） in .

In the center of the square, was erected, since , the statue of Louis XIV called « Louis le Grand » (fig.&nbsp5).

la statue de Louis Le Grand, Place Vendôme à Paris, 1699
fig.&nbsp5. in the middle of the square, the statue of Louis Le Grand in .

It is an impressive work by François GIRARDON , which reaches, with its pedestal, a height of 17&nbspm high.

The Revolution（Révolution） will destroy it but one of the huge feet of the king survived its melt and is exhibited at the Museum of History of the City of Paris, the Carnavalet Museum（Musée Carnavalet）.