Place de la Nation

The Place de la Nation began its life as a stage for royal spectacle. In August 1660, the city erected a massive, fourteen meter high wooden throne at this site to honor the ceremonial entry of the young King Louis the Fourteenth and his new bride, Maria Theresa of Spain. This grand gesture of loyalty was temporary, but it gave the square its original name, the Place du Trône, or Throne Square. In the late seventeenth century, officials planned to replace this makeshift throne with a permanent triumphal arch to celebrate the Sun King. Foundations were laid, but the project stalled due to financial constraints and was ultimately abandoned. The site remained a largely peripheral, semi-rural area for more than a century, serving more as a gateway to the city than a destination in its own right.