square Réjane

You are standing in a quiet corner of the Latin Quarter that carries the name of a French political figure, René Viviani. While you may hear this space referred to as Square Réjane in passing, its official name is Square René-Viviani. It serves as a peaceful counterpoint to the busy quays along the Seine. Before this garden was laid out in the nineteen twenties, the ground beneath your feet held a very different purpose. It functioned as a cemetery for the adjacent Church of Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre as early as the sixth century, eventually becoming the site of monastic buildings and later an annex for the city's ancient hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu.