Place des 13 Cantons

The Place des treize Cantons anchors the Grands Carmes neighborhood with its plain, weathered stone walls and the sharp angle where two narrow streets collide. It sits at the heart of the old city where the layout dates back to the seventeenth century. During the second world war, the German occupation forces cleared out much of the surrounding area, but this square stayed behind. It remains a rare, intact piece of the city fabric from long before the modern renovations changed everything.