Ok so in my rounds of updating older posts in my blog during these times of ours I came across new finds! One of them was on this very famous square where I had concentrated on the Arc de Triomphe but not on the Place de l’étoile as it is better known even if officially now is Place Charles de Gaulle. Therefore, let me tell you a bit more on it; hope you enjoy it as I.
The Place Charles-de-Gaulle, formerly Place de l’Étoile is an important roundabout, in the center of which is the Arc de Triomphe, (see posts) and which constitutes one end of Avenue des Champs- Elysees (see post). Place de l’Étoile, as well as the Arc de Triomphe itself, is shared like a cake between the 8éme, 16éme and 17éme arrondissements of Paris with the 8éme bounded by avenue de Wagram and the ‘avenue Marceau; the16éme bounded by avenue Marceau and avenue de la Grande-Armée; and the 17éme bounded by avenue de la Grande-Armée and avenue de Wagram. It has a diameter of 241 meters, which gives it an area of approximately 4.55 hectares.
The Charles de Gaulle square is one of the prestigious squares in Paris. Although it was renamed in 1970, its old name of “Place de l’Étoile” is still the most common in use. The square is surrounded by two streets forming a circle around it: the rue de Presbourg and the rue de Tilsitt which perpetuate two diplomatic successes of Napoleon and are the names given in 1864 to the circular street. Taking place between avenue Kléber and avenue Victor-Hugo, rue Lauriston constitutes a thirteenth lane radiating around the square but it stops at rue de Presbourg and therefore does not disturb the harmony of the square itself, Another underground passage, the Passage du Souvenir, is reserved for pedestrians, and connects the median where the Arc de Triomphe is located to the sidewalks of Avenue des Champs-Élysées and Avenue de la Grande-Armée.
The Charles de Gaulle square is serve by the RER A and metro lines 1, 2 and 6 under the square, serving it from the Charles de Gaulle – Étoile station. On the surface, the RATP bus lines 22, 30, 31, 52, 73, 92 and 341 run all or part of the square and serve it through stops on the various avenues leading to it. At night, the square is served by the Noctilien lines N11, N24, N53, N151 and N153. OF course , me only use the metro line 1 and 6 as well as the RER A here, The others are for information only,
A bit of history I like, This square was created around 1670 at the top of the old butte temoin or witness hill in the northern part of the Chaillot hill. The mound was called the Butte de l’Étoile from 1730 or more commonly the Étoile de Chaillot, because of the alleys which intersect there and give the shape of a star. The architect builder of the King who gave this shape was Ange Gabriel, and he made sure that the path was of an equal slope from the place Louis XV to the Neuilly bridge, was carried out from 1768 to 1774, The mound was lowered by 5 meters and the land removed was used to backfill the Champs-Élysées and to form the slopes of the current rue Balzac and rue Washington. In 1787, during the construction of the wall of the Fermiers généraux or general farmers was created the barrier of the Etoile ,also called barrier of Neuilly, The square was at the limit of the territories of the towns, created in 1790, of Passy which extended to the south of the avenue de la Grande Armée and of Neuilly to the north of this avenue. The town of Passy was annexed to the city of Paris in 1860 forming the 16éme arrondissement as well as the part of the territory of the town of Neuilly corresponding to the Ternes neighborhood of the 17éme arrondissement.
A bit on the arch even if plenty of posts on it, The construction of a triumphal arch in the center of the square, begun in 1806 by order of Napoleon I, and was completed in 1836 under the reign of Louis-Philippe I. The Place Charles de Gaulle in its current appearance was built under the Second Empire on the initiative of Baron Haussmann and Napoleon III. From 1854 and around the Arc de Triomphe,were completed in 1836, twelve avenues in the shape of a Star. The “Hôtels des Maréchaux” or marshall’s hotels , who were twelve in number, they are bordered by the twelve avenues starting in a star around the square. These U-shaped constructions on the rear facade have their entrances on a circular street such as the rue de Tilsit and the rue de Presbourg. The motifs of the facades are common with Greek friezes, pilasters, garlands, balcony with balusters, cornice with modillions decorated with palmettes, etc.
The twelve avenues clockwise are:
The Avenue de Wagram named after the Battle of Wagram won by Napoleon in 1809 in Austria. Formerly boulevard de l’Étoile or boulevard Bezons. The Avenue Hoche named after Lazare Hoche French General. Formerly avenue de la Reine-Hortense under the Second Empire and boulevard Monceau before. The Avenue de Friedland named after the Battle of Friedland won by Napoleon in 1809 in East Prussia since the Second Empire. Formerly boulevard Beaujon, The Avenue des Champs-Élysées, named after the Champs-Élysées, the place of the Underworld where virtuous souls stayed in Greek mythology. The Avenue Marceau named after François Séverin Marceau French General. Formerly avenue Joséphine, The Avenue d’Iéna, named after the Battle of Jena won by Napoleon in 1806 over the Prussians. The Avenue Kléber named after Jean-Baptiste Kléber French General. Formerly avenue du Roi-de-Rome and boulevard de Passy previously. The Avenue Victor-Hugo named after Victor Hugo French writer. Formerly avenue d’Eylau and avenue de Saint-Cloud, The Avenue Foch named after Ferdinand Foch Maréchal de France. Formerly avenue du Bois (de Boulogne) under the Third Republic and avenue de l’Impératrice under the Second Empire, The Avenue de la Grande Armée named after Napoleon I’s army Formerly avenue de Neuilly. The Avenue Carnot named after Lazare Carnot, Member of Parliament and Minister. Formerly avenue d’Essling under the Second Empire named after the lost defeat in 1809, and the Avenue Mac-Mahon named after Edme Patrice Mac-Mahon Marshal of France. Formerly avenue du Prince-Jérôme.
After all the above ,you have these twelve avenues forming six axes: The axis avenue Mac-Mahon and avenue d’Iéna, the axis avenue de Wagram and avenue Kléber, the axis avenue Hoche and avenue Victor-Hugo, the axis avenue de Friedland and avenue Foch, the axis avenue des Champs-Élysées and avenue de la Grande-Armée. And the axis avenue Marceau and avenue Carnot, All ridden by yours truly awesome !!
Some of the grand events on this Place Charles de Gaulle or Etoile in my opinion were : On June 25, 1792 around 21h, the royal family (Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette) entered Paris by the Etoile barrier returning from the flight from Varennes after having bypassed Paris by the outer boulevards. The carriage surrounded by two hedges of National Guards and a silent crowd then descends the Avenue des Champs-Elysées to the Tuileries Palace ( now gone facing the Jardin des Tuileries see post), Also, on April 2, 1810, the day after the civil marriage of Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie-Louise at the castle of Saint-Cloud (now gone just the gardens remain), the imperial procession heading towards the Tuileries Palace where the religious marriage was to be celebrated passed under the Arc de Triomphe under construction covered by a dummy monument with a frame covered with canvas and between the buildings there are lavishly decorated barriers. On December 2, 1852, the day of the proclamation of the Empire, Napoleon III left on horseback from the Château de Saint-Cloud and entered Paris via the Arc-de-Triomphe to reach the Palais des Tuileries, On November 11, 1920, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier was installed.
The Paris tourist office on the square : https://en.parisinfo.com/transport/90841/Place-Charles-de-Gaulle
The Champs-Elysées webpage on the square : http://www.champselysees-paris.com/en/sightseeing-details/place-de-l-039-etoile/208
There you go folks, a wonderful spot in my eternal Paris. You must have been by there ,now you know a bit of the history, next try a ride by car around it!!!Awesome! The place Charles de Gaulle is one heck of a square to be around while in beautiful Paris. Oh by the way the text is new in my blog, the picture is old . Hope you enjoy the post as I
And remember ,happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 