General view

After the triangular shape of the Place Dauphine and the square of Place Royale, Hardouin-Mansart adopted two other simple geometric forms: a circle for Place des Victoires, and an octagon (with angled corners) for Place Vend�me, two brilliant accomplishments.

the circular Place des Victoires was planned in 1685; it was set in the heart of Paris, somewhat like the round Colonnade in the grounds of Versailles. At the centre was a statue of Louis XIV by Martin Desjardins that bore extravagant inscriptions praising the monarch’s military exploits. The surrounding fa�ades were simple yet rigorous, the large arcade of the ground floor serving as the base for a piano nobile adorned with pilasters. The arrangement was most suitable, since it placed shops at street level, grand dwellings above, and attic apartments on top. But the size of lots did not always facilitate the planning of the residences built behind the fa�ade.

The inauguration took place in March 1686.