Place des Victoires, Paris

The striking statue of Louis XIV dominates this famous crossroads, where six streets meet, making it an important Parisian landmark as well as a gathering place for shoppers and art-lovers alike. 

The huge circle of Place des Victoires stands at the meeting of six streets, on the border between the first and second arrondissements. The six streets have been added to the convenient circle over time and were not all part of the original structure.

The statue at the centre is not the original. Formerly, it was a tribute commemorating the treatise of Nijmegen 1678-9, portraying Louis trampling the Triple Alliance, and inscribed with flattering praises of his majesty. But many were offended by the blatant arrogance of the statue, some even claiming that it had negative political nuances. The Revolutionaries certainly agreed with this, and it was destroyed by them in 1792, and covered by a wooden pyramid. Napoleon Bonaparte had a statue of General Louis Desaix put up in its place, but it came down upon his abdication, and the metal now forms the statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf.

In 1828 Charles X commissioned a new statue, once more of Louis XIV, by François Joseph Bosio, this time portraying the King as a Roman emperor. Louis presides over what is now a fashionable area, with many designer boutiques. The Place des Victoires makes an excellent shopping destination, as well as a centre for arts and culture, with several galleries and museums.

By Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France - Place de la Victoire @ Paris, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50749600
By Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France - Place de la Victoire @ Paris, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50749600

Opening Hours

Monday:
Open 24 Hours
Tuesday:
Open 24 Hours
Wednesday:
Open 24 Hours
Thursday:
Open 24 Hours
Friday:
Open 24 Hours
Saturday:
Open 24 Hours
Sunday:
Open 24 Hours
Back to top