A massive bronze lion sits at the center of Place Denfert-Rochereau, sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. It guards the square, marking the site where Colonel Denfert-Rochereau commanded the defense of the fortress of Belfort during the Franco-Prussian War. The statue serves as a smaller cousin to the same artist's Statue of Liberty. Beneath the square, the entrance to the Paris Catacombs draws a constant queue of visitors, while the two ornate pavilions nearby remain as remnants of the old city wall toll gates.
Place Denfert-Rochereau
landmark