Over its history, Place Vendôme has changed its name and appearance several times. In the past, it was the scene of various political demonstrations. And yet today it is the emblem of luxury and fine jewelry, a symbol of French elegance that makes visitors from all over the world dream.
Place Vendôme: a square steeped in political history
Place Vendôme is one of the five royal squares of Paris. It owes its name to the Hôtel de Vendôme, which originally stood on the site.
Octagonal and symmetrical, it was designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect of the Palace of Versailles. He was working under the orders of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who wanted to create a place embodying his reign in the very heart of Paris.
The façades of the buildings around the square, such as those of the Ritz or the Hôtel de Bourvallais, which houses the Ministry of Justice, all follow the same design. Most of them are listed as historic monuments.
Place Vendôme originally featured an equestrian statue of Louis XIV.
It was later replaced by the Vendôme Column, erected by Napoleon I to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz, won in 1805 against the Emperor of Austria and Tsar Alexander I.
The column is inspired by Trajan's Column in Rome. It features a series of bas-reliefs depicting Napoleon and his troops. The bronze that adorns the column came from cannons captured from the enemy.
Several statues have stood at the top of the column over the course of history. The sculptor Antoine Chaudet made the first statue to crown the Vendôme Column. It depicted Napoleon as a Roman emperor.
It was taken down by the Allies who fought Napoleon in 1814, when they entered Paris victorious and the Emperor was forced to abdicate.
His statue was then replaced by a flag bearing a fleur-de-lis, the symbol of Louis XVIII and of the new regime known as the Restoration.
Then, in 1831, King Louis-Philippe decided to put a statue of Napoleon back on the column. The sculptor Charles Émile Seurre was commissioned to create it. He chose to depict the Emperor as the "little corporal," wearing his frock coat and hat, with the star of the Legion of Honor on his chest.
This statue is now at the Hôtel national des Invalides, which houses the Army Museum. Napoleon's tomb lies beneath a dome adjoining the building.
Finally, in 1863, Napoleon III had Seurre's statue replaced by a new version of Napoleon I, sculpted by Auguste Dumont.
The fall of the Vendôme Column
In 1870, Napoleon III's empire was defeated by the Prussians. The following year, the Commune, a protest movement, took shape, and the painter Gustave Courbet was among its supporters.
He put forward the idea of destroying the Vendôme Column, a "symbol of brute force" according to the movement. On May 16, 1871, the column was sawed through at its base and torn down.
It was raised again and repaired in 1875, after the end of the Commune.
Gustave Courbet was even ordered to pay the full cost of the repairs, but he died in 1877 before settling his debt.
The Vendôme Column has not moved since, and it has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1992.
Place Vendôme today: the home of luxury boutiques
Historically, it was the Rue de la Paix that luxury jewelers first moved into. As Place Vendôme lies in the continuation of that street, it was the natural place for the industry to expand.
Today, it is the square that is the emblem of the luxury world, even though boutiques are still present on the Rue de la Paix and the Rue de Castiglione, on either side of the square.
The private mansions were gradually replaced by boutiques, mainly for jewelry, watchmaking and leather goods. For jewelry, you will find brands such as Breguet Paris, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Chanel, Cartier, Bulgari, Qeelin and Dubail. For watches, Rolex, Patek Philippe and Grand Seiko are among those present. And for leather goods, you will find Louis Vuitton and Hermès, to name just two. In addition to these luxury boutiques, as mentioned above, you will find important institutions such as the Ministry of Justice, housed in the Hôtel de Bourvallais at no. 13 Place Vendôme. At no. 15 stands the prestigious Ritz, a five-star hotel.
How do you get to Place Vendôme?
Place Vendôme is located in the center of Paris, roughly halfway between the Palais Garnier and the Tuileries Garden. Naturally, it is very well served by public transportation, including trains, buses, the RER and the RATP metro.
By bus, the lines that pass near Place Vendôme are 52, 66, 68, 72, 73 and 95. The nearest stops are Castiglione, Opéra, Madeleine and Pyramide, which are respectively a 4- to 8-minute walk from Place Vendôme.
For the RATP metro, the lines that pass nearby are: 1, 3, 7, 8, 12 and 14.
Line 14 serves Place Vendôme directly from Gare de Lyon.
Line 7 (Château Landon station) serves the square from Gare de l'Est.
The nearest RATP stations to Place Vendôme are Opéra, Tuileries and Madeleine, respectively a 2- to 5-minute walk away.
From Charles de Gaulle Airport, allow about 1 hour with the RoissyBus, and the same by train (including a 20-minute walk), getting off at Châtelet les Halles and finishing on foot. From Le Bourget Airport, allow about 50 minutes by taking bus line 152, then RATP metro line 7. From Orly Airport, allow about 1 hour by taking the Orlyval to Antony station, then RER line B to Châtelet les Halles. From there, you will have about a 20-minute walk.
More expensive but faster, a taxi is another way to get to Place Vendôme.
As you can see, this iconic square, with its history and symbolism, lies at the heart of the beautiful French capital. Today it offers a wide choice of luxury boutiques catering to an affluent clientele.
Centrally located, it is very well served by all of Paris's transportation networks.
