The Squares of Paris: A Living History

Paris owes much of its grandeur to its magnificent squares and the buildings that grace them. For centuries, the French capital’s plazas have set the tempo, like the city’s beating heart. Each thoughtfully situated Parisian square features a landmark building and a founding history. To explore them is to relive the construction of Paris and some key chapters of France’s past. Of the 500 or so squares that link the capital's 6,000 streets, we’ll retrace the formidable and colorful stories of the largest. The Place du Trocadéro echoes with the (mis)adventures of its palace, ephemeral and then transformed. The Place de la Concorde offers a view of the Champs-Élysées, and forms the heart of the Bastille-Etoile axis, to affirm the "concord" of the French people, marked by an obelisk. The Place Charles de Gaulle radiates with its memorial flame, guarded by one of the world's largest triumphal arches. The Place de la Bastille, with its July Column, resounds with revolutionary history, but also reflects Paris's relationship with its canals. From popular gatherings to national events, from celebrations to revolutions, these squares bear witness to people's lives and aspirations. Now, this in-depth film delves into these squares that lay like pages of history and works of art. The richness of the heritage embodied in these plazas is all too easy to overlook. But each is a sumptuous showcase for the greatest monuments in French history, helping make Paris one of the most beautiful capitals in the world.