Foto gentilmente concesse da Casa Editrice Bonechi

This perfectly square-shaped square is completely closed in by thirty six characteristic buildings with colonnades on the lower floor which are surmounted by two rows of windows. At the centre of the square stands the marble statue of Louis XIII on horseback, copied from that of P.Biard which was destroyed during the Revolution. The square is situated on the spot of the Hôtel des Tournelles, the location where, in 1559, Henry II met with his death during a tournament. Constructed following the design of Henry IV, it was finished in 1612. At the centre of the southern side of the square stands the Pavillon du Roi (King's Pavilion), the most elaborate, while the one reserved for the Queen stands opposite. At number 6, is situated the Musèe Victor Hugo, which is the house where the great poet lived from 1832 to 1848. Today, it preserves a collection of his memoirs, the most important testimonies of his life and about 350 drafts which bear witness to the versatility of his genius.