Place Vendôme, Paris

The Vendome Square (Place Vendome) (whose name was the one of the hotel demolished to built it) is famous all around the world as it is the central place for jewellery in Paris. In the centre of the square, you could see the Vendome Column (Colonne Vendôme) with Napoléon on its top.

At the centre of Place Vendome you´ll find a magnificent pillar. This pillar is obviously inspired by the Pillar of Traian in Rome. It has an height of 43,5 metres. Around the pillar, there is a sculpture as a comicbook, showing Napoleon´s greatest victories. This sculpture was made out of the bronze of 1.200 canons that were taken out of Austerlitz.

On top of this pillar there was placed a statue of Napoleon, looking like Caesar. He was very proud of the fact that he conquered the famous Rome, so he loved to be shown as a Roman emperor. This statue was destroyed in 1814 and was replaced by a statue of Henry IV. In 1874, a copy of the original statue was placed back on top of the pillar.

This wonderful piece of architecture (according to me this is one of the nicest squares in Paris) was built in the time of Louis XIV. Here the house was located of the Duke of Vendome. It originally was built to make the statue of Louis XIV look more impressive. Building it took from 1687 until 1720. The statue of Louis XIV was destroyed during the French Revolution.

This octogonal square is surrounded by buildings with pillars at the ground floor, with walls on top of them, covered by the typical steep, Paris-roofs. In the middle of the square there is a huge pillar that was made by Gongouin and Lepère, between 1806 and 1810. It is an sign of honour to Napeléon.

Today, the famous hotel Ritz is situated at this square, and so are some famous jewelry shops.

Apparently the sqaure got its name from a Duke Vendome who lived in one of the building on the edge of the square. Apparently also the famous composer Chopin died in one of the surrounding houses. Today surrounding the square are a bunch of jewlers and other boutiques.

The column in the middle was made from melted canons, and atop is a statue of, who else, Napoleon.

... is not gold !!!
The Place Vendome, situated in the 9th district, and in the middle of which is erected an obelisque, rounder than the one of La Concorde, is close to every famous jewelries... And, if your diamonds are fake, the Ministry of Justice is also in the area, so that you don't have to go that far to complain !!!

Place Vendôme and Place des Victoires (a few metres away) are equally beautiful and very elegant. In the past, balls were held in Place Vendôme. It's now a mecca for jewellery with amazing stores set around the large granite slabs of the square. In the centre of Place Vendôme is a column showing all of Napoleon's victories, made by the led of all his canyons.
Place des Victoires has a statue of Louis XIV in the centre and it's now home of great names of "haute couture".

Column in Place Vendome was built in 1806-1810, after victory of Napoleon in Austerlitz battle (1805). Originally a statue of Napoleon as a Cesar was on the top. In 1871 the column was tore down but three years later it was reestablished with a copy of the original statue on the top.

Home to such institutions as the Ritz and Bulgari, Place Vendome is an elegant square with merticulous architecture. You can just see the rather eccentric christmas decorations on the Place in the photo.