Place de la Concorde – Concorde Square

The Place de la Concorde, in Paris

The Place de la Concorde is the largest and one of the most beautiful squares of Paris, laden with history. The Paris audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this majestic esplanade, between the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries garden, adorned with its famous obelisk.

The largest square of the capital

Here we are on the Place de la Concorde. This square, the largest of the capital, is also one of the most beautiful. Laden with history, it was created in the middle of the eighteenth century to host a statue of King Louis XV, and bore then the name of the sovereign. But it is during the French Revolution that it entered tragically into History: renamed Place de la Révolution, it was the theatre of numerous executions by the guillotine, including those of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette. It is in memory of the national reconciliation hoped for after these years of troubles that it finally received the name of Place de la Concorde. In its centre stands the Luxor Obelisk, a thousand-year-old Egyptian monument offered to France in the nineteenth century, framed by two magnificent monumental fountains and allegorical statues representing the great towns of France. Located in the perspective of the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries, the square offers splendid views. A majestic square and a witness of history, the Place de la Concorde is a must-see stop of the discovery of Paris.

What to see

You admire the largest square of Paris, created in the eighteenth century for King Louis XV then theatre of the executions of the Revolution, including those of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, before being named Concorde; in its centre stands the Luxor Obelisk, framed by two monumental fountains and statues of the great towns of France, in the perspective of the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries. The Place de la Concorde is a jewel of Paris. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Place de la Concorde lies between the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries garden, in Paris, reachable on foot and by public transport. It is a freely accessible public space. The crossing requires caution because of the traffic; the views there are splendid, notably at nightfall.

Why is the Place de la Concorde famous in Paris?

Because it is the largest square of the capital and one of the most laden with history: created in the eighteenth century for Louis XV, it was the theatre of the executions of the Revolution, including those of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette; in its centre stands the Luxor Obelisk, framed by two monumental fountains.

Where is the Place de la Concorde in Paris?

Between the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries garden, in Paris, in France.