

Saint-Roch Square
©Philippe Alès CC BY-SA 3.0. <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.fr>via Wikipedia Commons
Now a peaceful spot for walks, this space has had quite a turbulent history. In the 16th century, it was home to buildings that sheltered plague victims, before being left abandoned for more than a hundred years. By the late 18th century, it was turned into a cemetery. A few decades later, it even housed an aquarium, before finally being transformed into a landscaped public garden. Bombed in 1944 and briefly used as a wartime cemetery, the site was later reimagined by Auguste Perret to offer the people of Le Havre a green and welcoming space in the heart of the city. With its rose garden, pond, and scattered sculptures, this English-style park is now a much-loved everyday escape for locals.







