This vast square was designed by the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a setting for the statue of Louis XV.
Two mansions with impressive colonnades are on either side of Rue Royale. Eight statues representing the towns of France mark the corners. In the center, the Luxor Obelisk stands between two fountains similar to those in St. Peter’s square in Rome. From the center of the square, note the beautiful views from the Louvre to the Arch of Triumph, north to the Madeleine and south to the Palais-Bourbon. The sculptures of the Marly Horses at the entrance to the Champs-Eysees face the winged horses by Antoine Coysevox which frame the entrance to the Tuileries Gardens.