Place (square)

Place de la Concorde

. - 75008 Paris

Champs-Élysées - 8e Arrondissement

Place de la Concorde, Paris © Thinkstock

Place de la Concorde, fontaine © Thinkstock

Place de la Concorde, Paris © OTCP - Amélie Dupont

Grande roue, place de la Concorde, Paris © OTCP - Amélie Dupont

Description

Place de la Concorde is situated at the end of the Champs-Elysées. Today it is famous for the Luxor Obelisk (a 3,300 year old Egyptian obelisk erected on the square in May 1998), the surrounding prestigious hotels, and the two monumental fountains (Fontaine des Mers and Fontaine des Fleuves). Created in 1772, Place de la Concorde was originally known for having been an execution site during the French Revolution. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette (among others) were guillotined here. Between 1836 and 1846 the architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorf redesigned the square to become what it is today.