Place Charles Digeon

Place Charles Digeon marks a central point in the history of Saint-Mandé. Long ago, this site sat at the edge of a royal menagerie established by Cardinal Mazarin in 1658 to serve the nearby Château de Vincennes. While the park once housed exotic animals like a tiger and a leopard, the location evolved alongside the town as royal interest faded and the area grew into a residential suburb. The square now bears the name of Charles Digeon, a prominent local figure who served as the mayor of Saint-Mandé for over three decades between 1900 and 1936. Near this spot, the town once operated a railway station on the line connecting Paris-Bastille to the suburbs. This station became the site of a tragic accident in 1891, when a moving train collided with one standing at the platform, resulting in one of the earliest major railway disasters in France. Today, the square serves as a quiet civic heart, standing near the modern town hall and local schools that continue to carry Digeon's name.