LA PLACE DUCALE

The city of the Will is built on a strict geometric plane, in the image of the bastides of the South-west, uniting around a vast central square with "covered" and arcades, a large swing place of four lanes in perpendicular cross. Inaugurated in 1610 and completed in 1628, the Place Ducale was built on order of Charles de Gonzague by the brother of the architect of Place des Vosges in Paris: one can see as a family air between these two masterpieces of French urban architecture. For its realization, regional materials are used: the stone of Dom-le-Mesnil, the slate of Fumay. How to imagine that it was at a time, in 1627 exactly, totally covered with paint! This square, one of the most beautiful in Europe, is almost intact almost four centuries after its completion. A jewel of perspective and symmetry, this architectural jewel of the 23rd century, as only the Renaissance can offer, now includes 4 pavilions and half-pavilions. In the centre, the monumental fountain had been planned to clean the pavement on the market days. Take one of the four bays that join and stroll through the picturesque streets of the city centre: you might be amazed at the presence of the Rimbaud poet. A place to discover in the evening, when the ocre and copper reflections of the sun it the golden stone of the pavilions, offering a bright spectacle.