Place de la République (formerly known as Place du Château d’Eau – Water Castle) is a square in Paris, located on the border between the 3rd, 10th and 11th districts. The area is 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres). It is named after the French Republic, was called the Place du Château-d’Eau until 1879 and contains a monument that includes a statue of Marianne, personification of France.
Boulevard Lafayette, North Station, Stalingrad Square
Paris Sights in old photos. Republic Square
How to get there: The République metro station is located under the square, served by lines 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11.
History and architecture. The square was originally called Place du Château d’Eau after the huge fountain designed by Pierre-Simon Girard and built on the site in 1811. Émile de La Bédollière wrote that the water came from La Villette and that the fountain had an “excellent” character. In 1867, Gabriel Davioud built an even more impressive fountain in the square, which (like the first fountain) was decorated with lions. The square took on its current form as part of the extensive renovation of Paris by Baron Haussmann. Osman also built new barracks in the cities to garrison troops, fit during civil unrest.
Place de la République
The monument was created by the brothers Charles and Leopold Morice (French Charles and Léopold Morice). Leopold completed the sculptural segments, and Charles the architectural ones. The monument was chosen as part of an art competition announced in early 1879 by the City Council of Paris, which sought to create a “Monument to the French Republic” in honor of the 90th anniversary of the French Revolution, to be installed in the Place la République. The statue of Maurice was chosen by the jury, but “a vocal minority opinion among the members of the jury claimed the right of precedence for the second prize” (there was also the work of Jules Dalou – Jules Dalou, who had just returned from exile from England). The statue of Dalu, completely different in style, impressed the jury so much that in early 1880 it was decided to erect his monument to the Republic in the adjacent Place de la Nation. There were two dedication ceremonies for the monument to Maurice, the first on 14 July 1880 with a plaster model, and the second on 14 July 1883 with the final version in bronze. The monument replaced the second fountain.