The Heart of Paris: Place de la Concorde—Its Architecture, Celebrities, and Scandals

Bordered by the Champs-Elysees, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Seine, Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris. Originally designed to showcase an equestrian statue of King Louis 15 (1748), destroyed during the French Revolution, it has two elegant 18th-century palaces. One, today the luxurious Hotel de Crillon, was for centuries home to illustrious royal courtiers, and where Ben Franklin signed the first treaty between the US and France in 1778. The other housed the Royal Furniture Depot with the Crown jewels, including the Hope Diamond, which were stolen in 1792. It then became the French Naval Ministry for over 200 years. The square has seen numerous historical events, including the beheading of Louis 16 and Marie Antoinette, parades of Nazi German tanks, and will be a site of the 2024 Summer Olympics.