Place Vendôme

Hôtel La Tamise is a stylish setting like Place Vendôme and suggests you explore this must-visit jewel of a square.

Place Vendôme under King Louis XIV

Place Vendôme was originally outside Paris as, under King Henri IV, the city was just a triangle between the Louvre, Ile de la Cité and their surroundings. It was built during the reign of King Louis XIV to create a sumptuous square providing easy access between central Paris and its surroundings. It is named after a manor which once stood on the square but all that remains is the name. The Sun King commissioned Jules Hardouin Mansart to build the square in a classic style. A statue of the king once stood in the centre. The square had no shops or access to Rue de la Paix which was already a high street; it was home mainly to manors owned by bankers and noblemen. The French Revolution marked a turning point for the square.

Place Vendôme under Napoleon

Place Vendôme was disused and the royal statue was torn down after the French Revolution. Napoleon was known for his showy politics and wanted to bring the square back to life by making it a sumptuous site connected to Rue de la Paix. He built a column using enemy cannons and destroyed Eglise des Capucines on Rue de la Paix to create a way to the street. In this church lay the Marquise de Pompadour, one of Louis XV's favourites and a great jewellery collector, a nod to the future world jewellery capital. With the construction of the Opéra de Paris in the 19th century and it being next to Rue de la Paix, the appeal of Place Vendôme knew no bounds. Frédéric Boucheron was the first jeweller to move to the square followed by all the top brands: Cartier, Van Cleef, Bulgari, Dior, Fred, Piaget, Poiray, Mellerio dits Meller…