Place Vendôme, Paris

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This is the place to be when shopping for high end designer clothes and jewelry. This square is just amazing. Everything is so high end here that your head may be spinning. Charvet, the shirtmaker store located at number 28 is the only original store from 1877 that still stands. Nevertheless, it is an amazing square for window shopping, photo shooting and just relaxing and enjoying the architecture.

The original square built in 1702 was destroyed during the French Revolution and was finally rebuilt by the financier John Law in 1720. Coco Chanel and Fredric Chopin lived here.

Stop by and check it out if you have a chance. Even if you can't afford to stay at The Ritz (a signature hotel in Place Vendome since 1898), it is still worth a stop.

Place Vendome was designed and created in 1702 by Jules Hardouin Mansart, the chief architect of Louis XIV th, one of the biggest architects of its period (baroque).
His great uncle François Mansart, is known as the promoter of the "mansard" (penthouse).
It can be easily seen the square shape with the chamfered corners, highlighted by the big frontons with Corinthian columns.
The column in the middle of Place Vendome was added later by Napoleon to celebrate his victory on Austerlitz.

Unfortunately, at the date of our short visit in Paris, we didn't know too much about all this details...This is why I'm trying to help you be more informed, before starting the trip of your life :)

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No doubt about it when you walk around here you can almost smell the money....All around the place are jewellers, fur merchants and a couple of the most luxurious hotels in Paris, notably the Ritz from where Princess Diana started on her last journey. The plans for the place were laid out in the latter part of the 17th c. and owners made to conform to these plans. Most of the facades are classed as historic monuments.
The central Vendome column was built in 1810 on the site of Louis XIV statue destroyed during the Revolution. Its figure is of Napoleon dressed as Caesar, later taken down and replaced with one of him dressed in his army clothes. Not good enough the original was replaced in 1863 only to be brought down again by the " Communards" in 1871, finally restored in 1873 and hasn't moved since.

At no. 13 is the Ministry of Justice upon whose walls can be seen one of the two lasting standard metres, moved here in 1848.

At no. 1 is the Hotel de Vendome and we find on its walls a plaque atteting to the fact that this is where the Embassy of the Republic of Texas was housed for two years. France was the first country to recognise the Texan independance.

Tuileries is the closest metro.

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I was always very impressed by the geometric harmony of this square. The square was constructed in the 18th century to commemorate the armies of Louis XIV, but only after Napoleon, was added the central column, modelled after Trajan's column in Rome, to commemorate the victory in Austerlitz.

This is one of the places that I can't describe - we must be there to feel the balance, the proportions, the size. Wonderful!

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As one of the most prestigious addresses in Paris (and there are many), Place Vendôme is home to some businesses that can afford the real estate premium. These include JP Morgan, Hôtel Ritz Paris, Giorgio Armani, as well as some of the diamond industry's dominant players. The square was created in 1702 and, soon afterwards, the palatial buildings surrounding it were built. In the 19th century, Napoléon Bonaparte erected a triumphal column, modelled after Trajan's Column in Rome, at the centre of the place to commemorate the victory in the battle of Austerlitz.

The most known building at containing Place Vendome is exclusive Ritz hotel.
In house under number 12 Frideric Chopin has spent last years of his life, he has died here at 17 of October 1849 , what commemorates wall table on the front.

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The large space occupied by the Place Vendome (700 feet across) comes as a surprise. The octagonal distribution of elegant facades bespeaks upper-class luxury as is attested to by the jewelry shops and banks in the arcades along the walls. It originated as an idea for a government center; ultimately it was left in the hands of entrepreneurs. The buildings behind the facades have nothing to do with the outside show. The tall central column can be seen from far off. Its core is of stone and the covering is worked bronze like Trajan’s Column in Rome. The column and its statue on top (now of Napoleon) has had its ups and tear-downs.

Parisian communars have fallen down a column. Artist Curbe was indignant with a column most strongly. He was a member of the communa's committee. After falling the Commune Curbe emigrated to Switzerland. He was judged and obliged to restore a column for his own money. All his pictures have gone as a payment for a debt, but money has not sufficed. The artist tried to explain that he was incorrectly understood - he only wished to take down a statue of Napoleon, and he suggested do not touch the column. Vainly!