Place Vendôme

"Built in tribute to the Sun, a square resplendent in nobility. Three colors brightens four walls now bedecked with liberty."

- A riddle by Nostradamus describing the Place Vendôme.

The Place Vendôme is a square in Paris located north of the Tuileries gardens and east of the Madeleine Church.

History
The Place Vendôme was built when Louis XIV wanted to create a monument to his glory and embellish Paris and facilitate traffic in the process. He did so by purchasing the Hôtel Vendôme and part of the Convent des Capucines. A large equestrian statue depicting Louis as a Roman emperor was set up in the square on 13 August 1699 for his birthday.

The King also profited by selling the land behind the housefronts, which he himself had financed, to prominent financiers of the elite. Through time however, the attic apartments came to house more modest tenants, such as. In August 1792, Louis' statue was hacked down to make cannons.

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed: Unity