Paris is known as theCity of Light. Part of the credit for thissobriquet can be ascribed to long-standing city ordinances that have restricted the height of buildings in the central city. A more modest skyline, interrupted only by theEiffel Tower, theTour Montparnasse,Sacré-Coeur, and a few church steeples, lends this city's citizens virtually unfettered access to natural light. Nonetheless, another significant contributor to the feeling of openness in Paris is the vast number of public spaces, both green and paved, interspersed throughout all twentyarrondissements, that afford the citizen the opportunity to escape, if only momentarily, his urban environment and partake of air and light like his cousins in the provinces. The following article (and its accompanying list) concern the public spaces known assquares andplaces in Paris.
The terminology of open spaces in Paris (square vs.place) may present some confusion to English speakers.
In theFrench language, the termsquare (a loan-word from English) refers to a small urban green space that is not large enough to be called aparc (the grassy variety) or abois (the wooded variety), and is not sufficiently formal in its plantings to be called ajardin. (For a list of these spaces, seeList of parks and gardens in Paris.) In English this may be called a "pocket park," a "green" as in "thevillage green", or even a "square", as in thesquares of Savannah, Georgia.
Conversely, the termplace in French refers to acity square which usually does not include green space and may be paved. In the English-speaking world, this is usually termed a "square" such asTimes Square in New York orTrafalgar Square in London.
In summary, the French havesquares that might be, but are usually not, called "squares" in English, and they haveplaces that are almost always called "squares" in English.
To make things a bit more complicated, in Paris, a "square" (small green space) may abut aplace (large public square), or a "square" may, in fact, be contained within aplace. The "square" and the associatedplace typically have different names. Some examples are:
Rarely, the "square" and its associatedplace share a name:
Finally, there are some pairs (of squares andplaces) where the name of the square is a bit artificial, but the relationship is, nonetheless, clear:
In all Parisian squares, gardens, and parks, you will find areas reserved for children, with playgrounds, sandboxes, see-saws, swings, merry-go-rounds, and the like. Some spaces offer a wider range of activities; some random examples are: toy boats to sail, as well as sulky and go-cart rentals in theJardin du Luxembourg; ping-pong tables in theSquare Emile-Chautemps and theJardin de l'Observatoire; pony or carriage rides at theParc Monceau; tennis courts, boules, and croquet at theJardin du Luxembourg; Guignol marionette puppet shows at theJardin du Ranelagh; roller skating at theParc Montsouris; a bee-keeping school at theJardin du Luxembourg; bandstands featuring spring and summer concerts at theSquare du Temple and theParc des Buttes-Chaumont, etc.
These open spaces also beckon visitors just to wander and daydream, and many offer lush green lawns for sitting, taking a rest, or perhaps a picnic. One is advised, nonetheless, to watch for signs posted on lawns that are accessible to the public:pelouses autorisées (lawns authorized for use) and "pelouses au repos" (lawns for resting).
As of 1 May 2008, the city of Paris acknowledged the following public squares (in the broader 'English' sense of the word). A citizen of Paris will notice, of course, that the following alphabetized list includes both "squares" (smaller green spaces) andplaces (larger urban landmarks), which have been segregated from one another within this single list.
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