And so my stories of my eternal Paris continues, as said, never tired of writing about it. Lucky me have a huge library of photos, sometimes hard to find with some going back to 1990. I found me a nice one in my cd rom vault and combine with an older one will update this post for you and me, Therefore, here is my take on the Place François Ier of Paris !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
This one is seldom mentioned, yet a very nice quartier or neighborhood of the Champs-Élysées, and the 8éme arrondissement or district of Paris, but not on the avenue off of it in a more chic quant area of my eternal Paris. You can walk to the square from avenue des Champs-Elysées at the rond-point des Champs-Elysées take right on Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt make right on rue Jean Goujon to the square or Place François Ier for the more scenic walk or take the more direct but nice too off avenue des Champs Elysées on Rue de Marignan to Rue François I passing rue de Montaigne continue , and turn left into the square. Still another way is to get off again at ave des Champs Elysées and go on rue de Montaigne and go left onto rue François I and the square. You passed the theâtre du Rond Point and the showing of a piece of the Berlin Wall and the back of the Palais de la Découverte in a more Parisian walk, me think. You, also, passed by several restaurant we had enjoyed over the years such as the L’Entrecôte de Paris ,and the main Dior jewerly watches store or one of the most chic exclusive shopping street in Paris as well as my company legal representation…at the corner you see one of our nice restos Restaurant l’Avenue. This is sublime Paris indeed !!!
The Place François-Ier bears the name of the king of France François Ier, because of the installation on the square of the house known as Maison de François Ier (c 1527). The house was later dismantled and set up at Moret sur Loing in 1957 (Seine-et-Marne dept 77), now is part of a real estate agency who agree to keep the same facade! The Place François Ier is located at the intersection of Rue François 1er, rue Bayard and rue Jean Goujon. It had a diameter of 54 meters. This square was part of the streets that were opened in 1823. The thing to see here is the fountain, very nice worth the detour me think.
The fountain of the Place François-Ier fontaine also called the fountain of the Place de la Madeleine. This fountain and its twin were built by architect Gabriel Davioud and sculpted by François-Théophile Murguet in 1865 to be installed initially on Place de la Madeleine. The Place de la Madeleine had the two twin fountains, but was found disturbing for traffic (even then already !), one of the fountains located in front of no. 7 was moved in 1903 to the center of Place Salvador Allende (formerly pl Santiago-du-Chili) in the 7éme arrondissement near the Invalides, to be replaced by a statue. The other fountain, located on the other side of the square was transferred around 1909 to the center of Place François-Ier. The basin is wide and circular with a pedestal of white marble supporting the basin. The pedestal is made up of four elegant and winged griffins. The basin is decorated with a small gallery of braces and twelve heads of lions which distribute the water in the basin. A cylindrical, flared column at the top rises from the center of the basin. It is decorated with four faces of women.
Some other, interesting buildings here are at No 5 , the former U.S. Embassy where President Théodore Roosevelt stayed in 1910. no 8 Hotel building from the second half of the 19C, the composition of the elevated façades of two square floors on the ground floor, made of dressed stone, is an important element in the unity of the composition of the square. At no 9 private mansion in Vilgruy, built by Henri Labrouste in 1865. The Place François-Ier is served nearby by Metro lines 1 and 13 at Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station, as well as metro lines 1 and 9 at Franklin Roosevelt station, and by RATP bus lines 42 ,73 and 80.stop Montaigne/François I stop/arrét.
The Paris tourist office on the 8éme arrondissement de Paris : https://parisjetaime.com/eng/article/explore-paris-s-8th-arrondissement-a826
The Île de France region tourist office on the place François Ier : https://visitingparisbyyourself.com/listing/francois-1st-square-area-near-gold-triangle-and-champs-elysees/
There you go folks, another wonderful walking tour, of a gorgeous area of my eternal Paris, not even in the Paris tourist office! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Place François Ier of Paris !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 