45 meters long and 40 meters wide that’s Place Possoz in the heart of Paris’s 16th arrondissement. This unassuming square holds a fascinating history. Named after Jean-Frédéric Possoz it’s a tribute to a remarkable man. He was the mayor of Passy under Louis-Philippe and the Second Empire. More importantly he’s credited with inventing the current numbering system for Paris’s arrondissements. Imagine the logistical feat of organizing a sprawling city like Paris in the 19th century.
Place Possoz wasn’t always a square. It resulted from the 1854 subdivision of the Guichard park. The official naming happened in 1864. It truly became a Parisian landmark not just for its name but also for the events that unfolded there. During World War I a shell fell on the square. A poignant reminder of the war’s reach even into seemingly peaceful corners of the city.
The opening of Avenue Paul-Doumer in 1933 changed Place Possoz forever. This new avenue running from La Muette to the Trocadéro transformed the square’s character. It went from a provincial-feeling spot to a more integrated part of the bustling Parisian landscape.
The buildings surrounding Place Possoz tell stories of their own. Number 2 boasts an impressive building constructed in 1913. Number 6 is an equally interesting building. It was constructed in the late 1960s by architect Henry-Charles Delacroix. The city of Paris bought it in 2009 to create social housing.
Sadly some buildings that once stood proudly in Place Possoz are gone. The Edmond-Dolfus gymnasium could hold 1500 people. It hosted political meetings conferences and patriotic events. The former girls’ college later a family boarding house at number 2 was also demolished. These lost structures leave a void in Place Possoz’s narrative.
A noteworthy resident of Place Possoz was chemist Joseph Achille Le Bel. He lived there in 1901. His presence adds another layer of intellectual history to the square’s story. Place Possoz might seem quiet today. But look closely. You can see echoes of its past the quiet grandeur of its buildings the stories within its stones. It’s a place where history and modernity intertwine offering a glimpse into Paris’s vibrant past.