Place Joachim-du-Bellay is a square near the center of Paris, France, in the 1st arrondissement, near

Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on January 12, 1973, after which it was "left to the demolition men who will knock down the last three of the eight iron-and-glass pavilions""Les Halles Dead at 200 ...

and the Pompidou Center. It is named after Joachim du Bellay, a French poet and

literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...

(1522–1560). The place Joachim-du-Bellay was built in 1787 on the location of the previous

Holy Innocents' Cemetery The Holy Innocents' Cemetery (French: Cimetière des Saints-Innocents or Cimetière des Innocents) is a defunct cemetery in Paris that was used from the Middle Ages until the late 18th century. It was the oldest and largest cemetery in Paris and h ...

, after the cemetery's demolition. The

Fountain of Innocents The Fontaine des Innocents is a monumental public fountain located on the place Joachim-du-Bellay in the Les Halles district in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Originally called the ''Fountain of the Nym ...

now resides in the center of the square, marking the last still standing remnant of the cemetery.

History of Location

While the history of the location on which place Joachim-du-Bellay resides is long and rich, this history of the square itself is rather simple. The previous structure was that of the Holy Innocents Cemetery, which operated, along with the Church of the Holy Innocents, from the 9th century ( Middle Ages) to 1780 AD (during the ''

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

'' in France), when it was closed due to overuse. The Holy Innocents Cemetery is notable because it held the first documented mural of Danse Macabre, a style of painting during late-medieval times emphasizing the impact of Death on lives and all ages. This mural was destroyed, however, almost 200 years after its construction, in 1669. At the edge of the cemetery there was a fountain, originally named ''Fountain of the Nymphs'' and now known as Fountain of the Innocents (or ''Fontaine des Innocents''). This fountain was dismantled in 1787 when the grounds of the church and cemetery were finally torn down and replaced by a stone laid square, place Joachim-du-Bellay. The square was originally a herb and vegetable market and was also known as ''Marché des Innocents''. The Fountain of the Innocents was re-assembled soon after the completion of said square and erected in its center, where it now stands. The Fountain of Innocents is the oldest monumental fountain in Paris.

Sources

Fontaine des Innocents

External links

* {{coord, 48.86062, N, 2.34801, E, region:FR-75_type:landmark_source:frwiki, display=title Joachim-du-Bellay Buildings and structures in the 1st arrondissement of Paris