Although small in size, the circular Place Saint-Georges owes its elegant look to the beautiful townhouses that border it. With the métro station exit, the railings, the old lampposts, and the fountain at its centre, the square is an emblematic site in Paris yet to discover.
About Place Saint-Georges
Place Saint-Georges © French Moments
Place Saint-Georges is situated at the junction of rue Saint-Georges and rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in the 9th arrondissement.
The square was laid out in 1824 as part of a real estate transaction by a financial corporation, the Compagnie Saint-Georges.
It has a circular shape of 32.50 m in diameter.
The fountain
Gavarni monument © French Moments
A fountain at the centre of the square is surmounted by a bust of the illustrator Paul Gavarni (1804-1866). It was placed there for horses to drink from. The fountain was dried up following the construction of the métro and revived in 1995.
The mansions of Place Saint-Georges
The mansions built around the square were tucked away in the centre of the plot. This arrangement is also found in Place François 1er (8th arrondissement).
The Thiers Mansion behind the Gavarnie monument © French Moments
The mansion of Adolphe Thiers (number 27) was built in 1873. It has since been transformed into a library and hosts the Dosne-Thier Foundation. The quiet public park of Square Alex Biscarre is situated just behind it.
Square Alex Biscarre, Paris © French Moments
The richly decorated mansion of La Païva (number 28) was built in 1840 by E. Renaud in neo-Gothic and Renaissance styles. Born Esther Lachmann (1819–1884), La Païva was one of the most successful French courtesans of the 19th century. She lived on Place Saint-Georges in 1851 before moving later to a new luxurious mansion at 25 avenue des Champs-Élysées.
La Païva Mansion © French Moments
Have a stroll in the nearby streets to admire a few Haussmann-style buildings with elegant iron balcony railings.
How to get to Place Saint-Georges
The elegant square
- Location of the Place Saint-Georges (link opens a google map): http://goo.gl/maps/g44SP4ebcuu
- Closest métro stations: Saint-Georges (line 12).
- Have you been to some similar squares in Paris? Share with us your Paris discoveries by commenting below! We’d love to hear from you!
Spring time © French Moments
