The Place de la Nation (formerly Place du Trône, subsequently Place du Trône-Renversé during the Revolution) is a circle on the eastern side of Paris, between Place de la Bastille and the Bois de Vincennes, on the border of the

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first attested i ...

and 12th arrondissements. Widely known for having the most active guillotines during the French Revolution, the square was renamed ''Place de la Nation'' on Bastille Day, 14 July 1880, under the Third Republic. The square includes a large bronze sculpture by

Aimé-Jules Dalou Aimé-Jules Dalou (31 December 183815 April 1902) was a 19th-century French sculptor, admired for his perceptiveness, execution, and unpretentious realism. Early life Born in Paris to a working-class family of Huguenot background, he was raised ...

, the ''Triumph of the Republic'' depicting Marianne, and is encircled by shops and a flower garden. It is served by the Paris Metro station Nation.

History

The and Louis XIV's aborted triumphal arch

The space that is now Place de la Nation first emerged on , on the occasion of the ceremonial entrance of Louis XIV and his new wife

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

, following their wedding in Saint-Jean-de-Luz on . A throne was erected on that spot, which was subsequently known as the "square of the throne" (french: Place du Trône), a name that survives to the present with the and . In the late 1660s,

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

promoted comprehensive reforms and remodeling of Paris, which included the establishment of the in 1667; on the right bank, the demilitarization of the former city walls and their replacement with a ring of Grands Boulevards in 1670; on the left bank, the destruction of all gates of the ancient

Wall of Philip II Augustus The Wall of Philip Augustus is the oldest city wall of Paris (France) whose plan is accurately known. Partially integrated into buildings, more traces of it remain than of the later fortifications. History The wall was built during the struggle ...

, started in 1673 and completed in 1683; the unification of professional regulations in the city and its outskirts (french: faubourgs) in 1673; the termination of lingering feudal authority over criminal justice in a number of mostly ecclesiastical enclaves that was transferred to the king's

Grand Châtelet The Grand Châtelet was a stronghold in Ancien Régime Paris, on the right bank of the Seine, on the site of what is now the Place du Châtelet; it contained a court and police headquarters and a number of prisons. The original building on the s ...

in 1674; and the erection or refurbishment of monumental gates on key intersections, namely the

Porte Saint-Antoine The Porte Saint-Antoine was one of the gates of Paris. There were two gates named the Porte Saint-Antoine, both now demolished, of which the best known was that guarded by the Bastille, on the site now occupied by the start of Rue de la Bastille i ...

in 1671, the , the Porte Saint-Denis in 1672-1673, and the Porte Saint-Martin in 1674. The project of a massive, four-pillared triumphal arch on the Place du Trône would mark the culmination of this program. A design by

Claude Perrault Claude Perrault (25 September 1613 – 9 October 1688) was a French physician and an amateur architect, best known for his participation in the design of the east façade of the Louvre in Paris.Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns that reached its climax a decade later with the production by

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , also , ; 12 January 1628 – 16 May 1703) was an iconic French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales ...

, Claude's brother, of his essay on the era of Louis XIV (french: Le Siècle de Louis le Grand). The initial question was whether the inscriptions glorifying Louis on the projected arch should be in ("ancient") Latin or ("modern") French. Antiquarian François Charpentier argued in favor of French inscriptions, and was countered by Jesuit Jean Lucas of the

College de Clermont A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...

, who defended the option of Latin in an eloquent address pronounced at the College on that was published in 1677 under the title .

Mur des Fermiers Généraux

The

Mur des Fermiers généraux Mur may refer to: Places: * Mur (river) (or Mura), a river in central Europe * Mur, Switzerland, a commune in Vaud and Avenches * Mur (Novi Pazar), a large village in Serbia * Mur, part of the village of Murzasichle, Poland * Mur, Iran (disambig ...

was an enclosure built between 1784 and 1791, one of the several city walls built between the early Middle Ages and the mid 19th century well beyond the buildings of Paris in a campaign to encircle houses, gardens and monasteries for the purpose of controlling the flow of goods and to enable their taxation by the Ferme générale. The wall's construction left a vast grassy space of vines and market gardens as far as the medieval city wall and the walls of the gardens of the old village of Picpus, which contained large convents, schools and retreats. Originally, the square accommodated two pavilions and two columns of the

barrière du Trône Barrière is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Jean-Baptiste Barrière (1707-1747), French cellist and composer *Jean-François Barrière (1786-1868), French historian *Jean de la Barrière (1554–1600), French religio ...

designed by Claude Nicolas Ledoux and built for the barrier of octroi (for tax collection) which surrounded the entrance to the

cours de Vincennes The Cours de Vincennes (formerly Avenue de Vincennes) is a street in Paris, linking place de la Nation to porte de Vincennes. It forms a major artery and serves as the border between the city's 12th and 20th arrondissements. It was built before 186 ...

. The columns were surmounted by statues of Kings Philip II and

Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...

French Revolution

During the Revolution, the square was renamed Place du Trône-Renversé - Square of the Toppled Throne - on 10 August 1792. A guillotine was set up in the southern half of the square, near the Pavilion of Law built by Ledoux. Those guillotined there were buried in the nearby

Picpus Cemetery Picpus Cemetery (french: Cimetière de Picpus, ) is the largest private cemetery in Paris, France, located in the 12th arrondissement. It was created from land seized from the convent of the Chanoinesses de St-Augustin, during the French Revolut ...

and include: * André Chénier, 25 July 1794. *

Cécile Renault Cécile-Aimée Renault (1774–1794) was a French woman and royalist accused of trying to assassinate Maximilien Robespierre during the Reign of Terror with two tiny penknives. She was sentenced to death and guillotined on 17 June 1794 (29 prai ...

Henri Admirat Henri Admirat (3 September 1744 – 17 June 1794) was a notable figure in the French Revolution. He was executed on the guillotine for attempting to assassinate Jean-Marie Collot d'Herbois. Admirat's assassination attempt Henri Admirat lived in ...

and

Jean-Baptiste Michonis Jean-Baptiste Michonis (1735 – 17 June 1794) was a personality of the French Revolution. Originally a producer of lemonade, he became a member of the Commune de Paris, inspector of prisons and chief of police. He participated in the "complot de ...

, 17 June 1794. *

Josse-François-Joseph Benaut Josse-François-Joseph Benaut (c. 1743 in Gullegem – 13 July 1794, Paris) was a Flemish composer, organist, harpsichordist, music educator and priest who had a career in France. Life His father Charles Benaut was an organist in Wulveringen in ...

, composer, 13 July 1794. * The Martyrs of Compiègne,

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

, 17 July 1794

19th century

The central monument, ''The Triumph of the Republic'', is a bronze sculpture created by

. It was erected to mark the centenary of the Revolution, at first in plaster in 1889 and then in bronze in 1899. The figure of Marianne, personifying the Republic, stands on a globe in a chariot pulled by lions and surrounded by various symbolic figures, and looks towards the Place de la Bastille. When the monument was erected, it was surrounded by a large pond. Additional sculptures of alligators, symbols for the threats to democracy, were removed during the

Nazi occupation of Paris The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zo ...

and melted down.

20th century

On 22 June 1963, the magazine '' Salut les copains'' organised a concert at Place de la Nation, featuring singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Richard Anthony,

Eddy Mitchell Claude Moine (; born 3 July 1942), known professionally as Eddy Mitchell, is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He took the name ''Eddy'' from the American ...

and Frank Alamo. It attracted over 150,000 young people. The headline of the following day's issue of the journal ''

Paris-Presse ''Paris-Presse'' was a French newspaper published in Paris between 1944 and 1970. It was created by Philippe Barres (1896-1975), with Ève Curie (1904-2007), daughter of Marie Curie. They ran the newspaper until 1949.Claude Bellanger, ''Histoire ...

'' read, "Salut les voyous !". The photographer

Jean-Marie Périer Jean-Marie Périer (born 1 February 1940) is a French photographer and film director. On 22 June 1963, the magazine '' Salut les copains'' organised a concert on Place de la Nation in Paris, with singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Richard Antho ...

, who was a friend of many of the performers, photographed the concert. The Place de la Nation was the location of the Foire du Trône before the

Pelouse de Reuilly Pelouse (; oc, Pelosa) is a commune in the Lozère département in southern France. Geography The Colagne forms part of the commune's northern border. See also *Communes of the Lozère department The following is a list of the 152 communes of ...

Notes

External links

*
Recherche des rues de Paris
{{Visitor attractions in Paris Buildings and structures in the 11th arrondissement of Paris Buildings and structures in the 12th arrondissement of Paris Nation