Place des Vosges

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This is the Place des Vosges, /plas de voʒ/, a very nicely designed public square surrounded by attractive buildings. It was built early in the 17th century and served as the seed for the chichi Marais quarter that surrounds it (especially to the west). The square is enclosed and impossible to spot from a distance, but you can find it just north of the rue de Rivoli and a short distance west of the Bastille.

Because of the limited perspectives available around the square, I shot this at a fairly wide angle from the southwest corner of the square. It’s even prettier in person, although it’s very hard to squeeze it all into a photograph.

The square takes its name from the French department (a political division like a state or canton) by the same name. It was originally called the Place Royale.

Photographed on May 26, 2001.