Place de la Liberté - Liberty Square, Brest

The Place de la Liberté, in Brest

The Place de la Liberté is the central and animated square of Brest, opening onto the great commercial arteries of the city. The Brest audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this space born of the destruction of the gates of the city in 1889, rethought after the Second World War by the architect Jean-Baptiste Mathon, then redeveloped in 1996 by Bernard Huet, become the lively heart of the city centre.

History

Here we are on the Place de la Liberté, the central square of Brest. It has not, however, always been so: formerly, it was even outside the fortifications of the city, until the end of the nineteenth century. It is only in 1889 that the entrance gates of Brest were destroyed, freeing large spaces conducive to the development of squares in the centre. But it is only after the Second World War, which caused considerable damage to the city, that the Place de la Liberté was designed by the architect Jean-Baptiste Mathon, who made it a central and dynamic space by drawing inspiration from the French royal squares. It is then the architect Bernard Huet who gave it its current layout in 1996, accentuating its commercial dimension: it allows quick access to the rue de Siam and the rue Jean-Jaurès, the two great commercial arteries of Brest, and is surrounded by restaurants. We are far from the square of the eighteenth century, much smaller and serving as an embankment in front of the fortifications. Today, it is the privileged place of the great events of the city.

What to see

Here you discover the central square of Brest, born of the destruction of the gates of the city in 1889, designed after the Second World War by Jean-Baptiste Mathon in the image of the royal squares, then redeveloped in 1996 by Bernard Huet; it opens onto the rues de Siam and Jean-Jaurès and is surrounded by restaurants. The Place de la Liberté is the lively heart of Brest. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Place de la Liberté lies in the heart of the city centre of Brest, served by the tramway, reachable on foot. It is a square in free access, lined with restaurants and close to the commercial streets, that hosts the great events of the city. You discover it during a walk.

What is the history of the Place de la Liberté in Brest?

Located outside the fortifications until the destruction of the gates of the city in 1889, it became the central square only after the Second World War, designed by the architect Jean-Baptiste Mathon in the image of the French royal squares; Bernard Huet gave it its current layout in 1996, opening onto the commercial streets of Siam and Jean-Jaurès.