Place des Victoires

Place des Victoires

Place des Victoires is a circular square in Paris, located not far northeast of the Palais Royal, at the border between the 1st and 2nd arrondissements. At the center of the square stands a grand equestrian statue of King Louis XIV, erected to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Nijmegen in 1678–79, which was eventually destroyed during the French Revolution in 1792.

In 1793, the square was renamed “Place des Victoires-Nationales,” and the destroyed statue was replaced with a wooden pyramid. In 1810, during the reign of Napoleon I, a nude statue of General Desaix replaced the pyramid. After Napoleon’s abdication, this statue was also toppled and replaced with a statue of Henry IV. In 1828, King Charles X of the restored Bourbon monarchy commissioned the current 12-meter-high equestrian bronze statue, sculpted by François Joseph Bosio, depicting Louis XIV dressed as a Roman emperor and riding a majestic horse.

The surrounding area of the square is now an upscale neighborhood, where fashion designers Kenzo Takada, Cacharel, and Thierry Mugler have all opened shops. In the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie steps out of an apartment on Place des Victoires.

Place des Victoires

Must-visit reason: One of the most famous squares in Paris

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: France[France]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Île-de-France Region [Ile-de-France Region]

City where the attraction is located: Paris [Paris]