François-1st Square (Place François 1er)
75008 PARIS
Architect : Henri Labrouste
Architect/Sculpteur de la Fontaine : Gabriel Davioud/François-Théophile Murguet
Origin of the area, square, streets, and fountain
By virtue of a royal order of July 23, 1823, a company represented by Mr. Constantin was authorized to open on its grounds :
- two streets, each 14.60 meters wide ;
- a circular square of 40.90 meters in diameter.
The district was called François Ier (Francis 1 of France) because of a house built by the Renaissance monarch François-1st for his mistress the Duchess of Etampes.
The square itself was opened around 1825 at the same time as the "rue Bayard-Champs-Élysées" and "rue Jean-Goujon" when the streets were built on a star-shaped plan inherited from the classical parks. In 1823, it took the name of "Place François 1er" (François-1st Square) like that of the district.
The private mansions of the François-1st Square
Several mansions face each other. The only really remarkable one is the one at number 9 of the square: the mansion called "Vilgruy" built in 1865 by the architect Henri Labrouste, classified as a historical monument since 1981.
A short history of the fountain in the center of the François 1st Square
This fountain was sculpted by François-Théophile Murguet in 1865 at the initiative of the architect Gabriel Davioud. In reality, the sculptor built two sculptures to be initially installed a short distance away, on the Place de la Madeleine.
The Square of the Madeleine was thus decorated in 1865 by the two twin fountains. One of the fountains, located in front of No. 7 (of the Place de la Madeleine), was moved in 1903 to the center of the Place Santiago-du-Chili in the 7th arrondissement of Paris near the Invalides. It was replaced by a statue of Jules Simon sculpted by Denys Puech. The other fountain, located on the other side of the square, was transferred around 1909 to its current location in the center of the square François-Ier. It was replaced, on the Place de la Madeleine, by a monument in honor of Victorien Sardou
The elegant fountain that nobody wanted
The basin is large and circular with a white marble pedestal supporting the bowl. The pedestal is made of four elegant winged griffins. The basin is adorned with a small gallery of lattices and twelve lions' heads that distribute the water in the basin. A cylindrical column, flared at the top, rises from the center of the basin. It is decorated with four women's faces.
François-1st Square, also very close to the "Golden Triangle
From the François-1st Square, take the rue François 1er, direction north. After 100 meters, make a small detour to Avenue Montaigne. You will find there the Houses Dior, Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Cucci. This area is known as the "Golden Triangle".
Go back down the rue François 1er to the quay and then turn left onto the avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Palais de la Découverte.
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