Place du Pilori

Place du Pilori

The Angers audio-guided tour leads you to Place du Pilori, a small central, pedestrian and picturesque square, in the heart of the shops and restaurants. Its name evokes a grave history, recalled here with measure.

The history of the pillory

The square owes its name to the pillory that once stood there, an instrument of justice where a condemned person was tied, exposed to the public for hours or even days, in order to humiliate them and deter potential wrongdoers. These practices, common under the Ancien Regime, recall the harshness of justice in the past. The memory of this past is mentioned with sobriety.

What there is to see

On the square today stands the statue The Young Girl in the City, made in 1988 by Leopold Kreitz and installed here in 1992. Pedestrian and lively, Place du Pilori has become a peaceful place of passage and meeting, far from its former function, in the heart of the shopping centre of Angers.

Practical information

Place du Pilori can be seen freely, in the open air, in the heart of the pedestrian centre of Angers, between Rue Lenepveu and the shopping streets. It is accessible at any time. Cafes, shops and restaurants line the square and follow their own hours.

Why is the square called Place du Pilori ?

Because a pillory once stood there, where the condemned were exposed to the public, under the Ancien Regime.

What can be seen today on Place du Pilori ?

The statue The Young Girl in the City, made in 1988 by Leopold Kreitz, in the heart of a pedestrian and lively square.