place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville - Esplanade de la Libération
place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville · Quartier Saint-Merri
square in Paris, France
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation1:39
Welcome to the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, the symbolic heart of Parisian civic life for nearly seven centuries. Long before it was the paved esplanade you see today, this area was known as the Place de Grève. …
Listen in the app2The Facade and the 106 Famous Parisians1:35
Gaze up at the magnificent facade of the Hôtel-de-Ville, a masterpiece of 19th-century architecture that pays homage to the French Renaissance. The building is adorned with numerous statues, but most significant are the 106…
Listen in the app3Etienne Marcel and the Origins of the Mayoralty1:20
On the side of the building facing the river, you will find an equestrian statue of Etienne Marcel. In the 14th century, Marcel was the Provost of the Merchants, a role that was essentially the ancestor of the modern Mayor of…
Listen in the app4The Monumental Fountain of Hôtel-de-Ville1:33
In the gardens adjacent to the main square, you will find the refreshing Hôtel-de-Ville fountain, inaugurated in 1893. This structure was designed by Parisian architect Charles-Auguste Gautier and is a showcase of the industrial…
Listen in the app5The Administrative Library and the Fire of 18711:38
Hidden within the upper floors of the Hôtel-de-Ville is a sanctuary of knowledge: the Administrative Library. This library is a direct successor to the one destroyed in the catastrophic fire of May 1871, when the Paris Commune…
Listen in the app6The Salle des Fêtes: A Rival to Versailles1:27
The interior of the Hôtel-de-Ville contains rooms of such splendor they were designed to rival the royal palace at Versailles. The Salle des Fêtes, or Ballroom, is the crown jewel of these spaces. …
Listen in the app7The Esplanade of the Liberation1:26
As you stand in the center of the square today, you are on the Esplanade de la Libération. This name was officially added in 2002 to commemorate the role the Hôtel-de-Ville played during the August 1944 liberation of Paris. …
Listen in the app8Closing1:29
Our visit to the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville concludes here, at the junction of the city's past and its vibrant present. We have journeyed from the sandy riverbanks where medieval merchants unloaded their wood and wine, through the…
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What is place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville - Esplanade de la Libération?
place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville - Esplanade de la Libération is a place in Quartier Saint-Merri with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Quartier Saint-Merri |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Total length | 12 min 07 s in all |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 48.8567, 2.3514 |
| Last updated |
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