Square Montholon

Square Montholon began its life in eighteen sixty-three as part of a massive urban redesign project that reshaped this part of the city during the construction of Rue Lafayette. While it serves as a peaceful green space today, its location sits on land that once belonged to the estate of the Sanson family. This family held a grim distinction in French history, as they served as the official executioners of Paris for seven generations. Their property here was situated in a district then known as New France, which at the time lay just outside the city gates.