MARKET PLACE AND PERRON
The convivial Place du Marché, with its crowded terraces, is home to the town hall and the Perron, a symbol of Liège's freedoms
The Place du Marché is very inviting when the weather's fine and the terraces are packed. The ensemble of houses, most of which date from the 17th century, is beautifully cohesive. Particularly noteworthy is the Hôtel de Ville, completed in 1718 on the site of stores that had burned down during the 1691 bombardment by Louis XIV's troops. It's still known as "La Violette", in memory of the former house on this site where burgomasters, councillors and governors of the "32 bons métiers" (privileged guilds) met in the 17th century. Its salons are open to visitors on an exceptional basis, and the Salle des Pas Perdus is open to the public.
Le Perron. Located at the center of the square, it is the symbol of Liège's freedoms. Its origins are unclear... Perhaps it was originally a pillory. That the Perron became essentially the symbol of Liège's autonomy is no longer in doubt from 1468, when Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, took Liège, razed the city to the ground and - as the ultimate humiliation - confiscated the Perron and had it transported to Bruges. In 1477, on the death of the Bold, Mary of Burgundy renounced her claim to the principality of Liège and had the Perron returned to the city. The Perron was rebuilt in the 16th century, after a storm had knocked down the former13th-century monument. In 1697, sculptor Jean Del Cour embellished the summit with the group of Three Graces supporting a cruciferous pine cone.
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A proximité il y a beaucoup de café,bar,restaurant et magasins
C'est sur cette place que nous pouvons encore retrouver l'esprit liégeois.
J'ai une grand préférence pour le Café "La Toccata". Un petit café à l'ancienne, un peu étroit mais avec des thés chauds et froids faits maison. Un délice !