Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris, an octagonal plaza covering roughly 19 acres between the Champs-Élysées and the Jardin des Tuileries. Completed in 1772 in honor of Louis XV, the square gained a darker history during the French Revolution, when it served as the site of nearly 1,120 guillotine executions, including that of Louis XVI in 1793; it was renamed Concorde in 1795 to symbolize reconciliation.
At its center stands the 3,000-year-old Luxor Obelisk, gifted to France by Egypt in 1831, flanked by two ornate fountains representing maritime and river navigation. Eight statues at the square’s corners each personify a major French city, and the surrounding balustrades and lampposts make it one of the most photographed open spaces in the capital.
Entry is free and the square is accessible at any hour, functioning as a grand pedestrian gateway between the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries. During the winter holidays a large observation wheel is sometimes installed nearby as part of the Champs-Élysées Christmas market.
