Square du Vert-Galant
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Square du Vert-Galant. (Discuss) Proposed since November 2021. |
| Square du Vert-Galant | |
|---|---|
 View from Pont des Arts | |
  Location within Paris | |
| Type | Urban Park |
| Location | 1st arrondissement, Paris |
| Coordinates | 48°51′26″N 2°20′24″E / 48.85722°N 2.34000°ECoordinates: 48°51′26″N 2°20′24″E / 48.85722°N 2.34000°E Fatal error: The format of the coordinate could not be determined. Parsing failed. |
| Area | 1,642m2[1] |
| Created | 1884 |
The Square du Vert-Galant is a small public square on the lower western end of Île de la Cité in Paris, France.
Description
The Square is cut off from the rest of the island by the Pont Neuf, which is the oldest bridge still standing over the river Seine. There are several trees and numerous species of small flora and shrubbery. Due to being situated several metres lower than the rest of the island, it is prone to flooding.
Name Origin
The Square du Vert-Galant earns its name from Henry IV of France, who was nicknamed Vert-Galant (Green Gallant) due to having numerous mistresses despite his advanced age at the time. Additionally, there is the large bronze Equestrian statue of Henry IV overlooking the square, now oxidized to a green hue.[2]
History
Prior to the 17th century, the area to the west of Île de la Cité was part of the river Seine, broken by two smaller nearby islands, Île aux Juifs and Île a la Gourdaine. On 18 March 1314, Île aux Juifs was the site of the execution of Jacques de Molay, the last Grandmaster of the Knights Templar, as well as another Templar leader, Geoffroi de Charney. Both were burned at the stake for heresy. A plaque commemorating Molay's execution sits at the entrance to the square, which now occupies the land.[3]
In 1585, the Pont Neuf began construction over the farthest west point of Île de la Cité,[4] allowing all three islands to be joined by 1607. In this same year, Henry IV gave up the royal garden on the island's west end to allow for the construction of the Place Dauphine to the east of the Pont Neuf, and the Square du Vert-Galant to its west.[3]
The original Equestrian statue of Henry IV was erected on west side of the Pont Neuf in 1618, and overlooked the Square du Vert-Galant. However, it was destroyed on August 11 1792 during the French Revolution, with some surviving pieces relocated to the Louvre, where they can still be seen today. The current version, recast in 1818 by François-Frédéric Lemot after the Bourbon Restoration in France, and uses a copy of the original mold, although varies in a few details.[2]
Before becoming a public square, the area of Square du Vert-Galant housed baths by about 1765, with a cafe with live music being built in 1865.[5] However, due to the area's low lying level, this was destroyed by a flood in 1879, and the land was sold to the city of Paris in 1884 to be made a green space.[citation needed]
In 2007, Square du Vert-Galant obtained the label 'Espace Vert Écologique' (Ecological Green Space).[6]
See Also
References
- ↑ "Square du Vert-Galant". paris1900.lartnouveau.com.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thompson, Victoria (2012). "Seeing Popular Sovereignty in the Statue of a King". History and Memory. 24 (2): 5–40. doi:10.2979/histmemo.24.2.5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hillairet, Jacques (2017). Connaissance du Vieux Paris. Payot. p. 384. ISBN 9782228919111. Search this book on
- ↑ Delon, Monique (2000). La Conciergerie - Palais de la Cité. p. 21. ISBN 978-2-85822298-8. Search this book on
- ↑ Wallace. "Dans le square du Vert-Galant". www.fontaine-wallace.info.
- ↑ "Square du Vert-Galant". Parisinfo. Paris Office of Tourism.
Bibliography
- Thompson, Victoria E. ″The Creation, Destruction and Recreation of Henri IV: Seeing Popular Sovereignty in the Statue of a King.″ History and Memory, vol. 24, no. 2, 2012, pp. 5-40. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/histmemo.24.2.5.
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