Concord Square (Place de la Concorde)

Named as a gesture of harmony after the turmoil of French Revolution, Concord Square is the central stage of Paris events. It was the place of victory celebrations such as World War I, World War II, and FIFA World Cup, the entry point of two international expositions in 1900 and 1925, and the site where1,119 persons were guillotined during the French Revolution.

The guillotine once stood in the corner of Concord Square near the Hôtel de Crillon was where King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were beheaded in 1793. When King Louis XVI was overthrown and a new constitution was completed, although the monarchy was still in place, an elected assembly held most of the power. Louis appeared to support the new constitution, but inwardly hoped the revolution would fail. He tried to escape France but was caught. His remaining credibility as a leader was lost. Louis then hoped for a foreign invasion to crush the revolution and restore him to power, but it did not come. Later, a secret cupboard containing proof of Louis’ counter-revolutionary beliefs and correspondence with foreign powers was discovered in Tuileries Palace. Louis and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were brought to trials for treason and executed.

As a gift to France, the Obelisk of Luxor is one of a pair of ancient Egyptian obelisks from the Temple of Luxor. The Hieroglyph on the obelisk is about Ramesses II and the deities. It was not easy to get the Obelisk to Paris. Three hundred men first had to dig a canal in Egypt to provide shipping access. Illustration on the base of the Obelisk shows how it was raised into place in 1836.Read more