Place de l'Odéon

Place de l'Odéon was created in 1779 on the grounds of the former Hôtel de Condé, a massive private estate once owned by a branch of the Bourbon royal family. When the square was built, it became the site of a revolutionary urban experiment. In 1782, the streets leading to the square became the first in Paris to feature dedicated stone pavements with gutters designed to separate pedestrian walkways from the carriage path. This small innovation marked a shift in how the city organized space for the people who walked its streets.