Lille Torv ( lit. Little Square) is a cobbled

public square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

located in the

Indre By Indre By (lit. English, "Inner City"), also known as Copenhagen Center or K or Downtown Copenhagen, is an administrative district (''by'') in central Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It covers an area of , has a population of 26,223, and a po ...

neighborhood in Aarhus,

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. It is situated between the squares of Store Torv and

Immervad Immervad, previously Emmervad, is a pedestrian street in Aarhus, Denmark, which runs north to south from Lille Torv to Åboulevarden and Frederiksgade. The alley ''Sankt Clemens Stræde'' leads to Immervad from the east. The street is situated in ...

in the historic

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...

neighborhood and it is one of the oldest public squares in Aarhus. The streets of

Vestergade Vestergade ( lit. "West Street") is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, linking Gammeltorv in the northeast with the City Hall Square in the southwest. The street defines the southern boundary of Copenhagen's Latin Quarter. Most of the buil ...

, ''Guldsmedgade'', ''Immervad'' and ''Badstuegade'' radiates from Lille Torv. It is today a venue for public events and gatherings in the city. The square is home to some notable buildings such as the storied ''Meulengracht's House'' and the

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

Business- and Agricultural Bank of Jutland.

History

Little Square was originally a swampy area outside the city walls of the medieval town. In c. 1200, the area was drained and in 1250 Little Square was established where major thoroughfares met. When Little Square had been established the street of ''Immervad'' was created, crossing the

Aarhus River Aarhus River ( da, Århus Å) is a long river or stream, in eastern Jutland, Denmark. The river flows through the large river valley of Aarhus Ådal. The valley itself, stretches from Silkeborg to the coastal city of Aarhus, but the Aarhus Riv ...

. The square today has roughly the same dimensions and proportions as when it was initially created in 1250. The name "Lille Torv" was applied to the square in the 1700s whereas it had previously been known as ''Gammeltorv'' (Old Square) or simply "Torvet" (The Square). Since the 1200s, Little Square, along with Great Square, has been one of the primary market squares in Aarhus. Weekly markets were held here up until the 1800s when farmers and traders from the

catchment area In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...

s around the town would gather here and trade. In 1896, the city council closed the St. Oluf's Market and in the years after the rest of the markets in the city closed as traffic gradually increased and took over the public spaces. In 1904, electrical trams started operating in Aarhus and Little Square became a hub where tram lines would intersect and trams would stop for breaks. Buses and trams had to negotiate Lille Torv to get through the narrow, curved streets of ''Guldsmedgade'' and Klostergade, eventually confining pedestrians to sidewalks. In the late 1990s, the

was reopened, removing the former street of

Åboulevarden Åboulevarden is a street and promenade in Aarhus, Denmark. It is 975 meters long and runs west to east from ''Vester Allé'' to ''Europaplads'' at Dokk1. The street is situated in the Indre by neighborhood where it is a popular thoroughfare for p ...

that covered it in the process. In connection with this project it no longer made sense to have motorized traffic at Little Square and it again became the domain of pedestrians.

Notable buildings

The central location of the square and the markets formerly held here meant it was a desirable location for merchants to establish themselves. Little Square is therefore home to several notable and storied merchant mansions. ''Meulengracht's House'' with address on Lille Torv 2 was built by the merchant Harboe Meulengracht in the late 1700s and was for a time the social focal point for the

high society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

and even royalty. Today Meulengracht's House is home to stores. The Business- and Agricultural Bank of Jutland (

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

: Jysk Handels- og Landbrugsbank) is a

building by the architect Sophus Frederik Kühnel featuring architecture relatively unique to Aarhus. Previously the square was also home to the ''Mayor's House'' (Borgmestergården) which was moved to

Tangkrogen Tangkrogen (lit.: The Kelp-nook) is a public park in Aarhus, Denmark. The park is situated in the neighborhood Midtbyen by the coast with the Bay of Aarhus to the southeast, the Marselisborg neighborhood to the West and the Port of Aarhus to the ...

during the

Danish National Exhibition of 1909 The Danish National Exhibition of 1909 or The National Exhibition in Aarhus 1909 (Danish language, Danish: Landsudstillingen i Aarhus) was an industry, crafts and culture exhibition held in Aarhus, Denmark in 1909 from 18 May to 3 October. The exhi ...

and afterwards to the

Botanical Gardens A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

where it became the first building in the Old Town Museum.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lille Torv Squares in Aarhus Aarhus C