Place du Carrousel

On this very spot, before the grandeur of the Louvre Museum, lies the Place du Carrousel. Don’t be fooled by its tranquil presence today. Place du Carrousel has borne witness to some of the most tumultuous events in French history. This square, named after a type of military parade, was once part of the Tuileries Palace. Imagine the opulent palace extending before you, a stage for Louis XIV’s elaborate displays of equestrian skill. But history, like a fickle wind, brought change. The French Revolution swept through Paris, and the Place du Carrousel transformed into a site of both celebration and terror. It was here, in 1792, that a mob forced Louis XVI to don the red Phrygian cap, a symbol of the revolution that ultimately consumed him. Even more chillingly, the Place du Carrousel served as a platform for the guillotine, its blade silencing the cries of 35 souls, including the writer Jacques Cazotte. The revolution subsided, but the Place du Carrousel’s story continued. In 1871, the Tuileries Palace burned, leaving only the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel standing as a lone sentinel, a silent witness to the ebb and flow of power, the fickleness of fate, and the enduring spirit of Place du Carrousel.