Bonjour! This week’s carte postale features Place de la Concorde in Paris.
- Over a thousand people were executed by guillotine at this spot during the French Revolution, most notably Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
- The Luxor Obelisk was a gift from Egypt and placed in the square in 1836
- Between 1836-1846, the square was redesigned by German-born French architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff. He designed the two fountains, Fontaine des Mers (shown above) and Fontaine des Fleuves
For six months each year since 1993, the Roue de Paris Ferris wheel has been operating at the Place de la Concorde. But things have changed. Wanting to protect the area’s “historic visual appearance,” Paris councillors voted against renewing the operator’s license and it closed in July 2018.
Tell me your thoughts: Should there even be a Ferris wheel in Paris? If so, where in Paris?
For more information:
Place de la Concorde – ParisInfo website
Until the next Wednesday Postcard, à bientôt!
Bonjour: A Francophile Blog 
When we visited in 2016, we walked past it. It does detract a bit from the scenery because of the mechanics in the back and the barriers needed to keep people from walking in the wrong spots. I wouldn’t mind them removing it. Too much of a carnival feel. Cheers, Carolyn
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I see your point. Safety is important, but the barriers can be unsightly. Plus, I think it’s odd to see a playful attraction where public executions used to take place! Since I like Ferris wheels, I’d support the idea of possibly moving it to another area, like Disneyland Paris!
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Agreed
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