# Place Saint-Pierre, Nantes

Place Saint-Pierre is a public square located in Nantes, France. It is situated to the east of the Nantes Cathedral.

## Location and access

The square, situated at the center of Nantes [fr], is accessible via six streets: Rue de l'Évêché [fr] and Rue du Roi-Albert [fr] to the northeast, Rue Portail [fr] to the northwest, Rue du Général-Leclerc-de-Hauteclocque [fr] to the west, Rue de Verdun [fr] to the southwest, and Rue Mathelin-Rodier [fr] to the southeast.

## Origin of the name

The square functions as the parvise of the Nantes Cathedral, thereby inheriting the initial portion of the cathedral's name.

## History

Place Saint-Pierre is located at the eastern entrance of the ancient city, within the walls [fr] of the Gallo-Roman castrum, which was constructed after the year 270. The first cathedral was erected on the site in the 4th century.
For an extended period, the square section between the cathedral and Rue Saint-Laurent, located to the south, was utilized as a cemetery. This cemetery was only enclosed by a wall in 1592. In 1617, the cemetery was relocated.
On September 5, 1661, while visiting Nantes to attend the Estates of Brittany, King Louis XIV ordered the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet, his superintendent of finances. After a failed attempt in front of the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, Charles de Batz-Castelmore D'Artagnan, a musketeer serving the king, successfully apprehended Fouquet in the square in front of the cathedral.
Before the eighteenth century, Place Saint-Pierre was one of the few public squares in the city and the sole one of considerable size. Its establishment was closely associated with the cathedral. In contrast, other squares, such as Bouffay [fr], Change [fr], and Saint-Nicolas [fr], were primarily utilitarian, serving economic functions. Place Saint-Pierre also functioned as a crossroads, at the intersection of the road to Paris and the Saint-Pierre Gate [fr].
In the early 18th century, the municipality was responsible for paving the square (while residents were responsible for paving the streets), as well as maintaining a public well (the city had thirteen wells in 1748). In the view of art historian Pierre Lelièvre [fr], the square was not designed to accommodate a market, except on an occasional basis. For example, in 1740, some merchants, displaced from the overcrowded Bouffay [fr] market, were permitted to set up temporary stalls in Place Saint-Pierre. However, Yves Durand notes that the square served as a gathering place for merchants of fruit and vegetables. In 1756, the mayor ordered the removal of commercial establishments that had been established at the side exits of the cathedral.
The initial proposal for the expansion of the square was put forth by Pierre Vigna de Vigny [fr] (1690–1772). His project involved the demolition of certain buildings on the north side of the square to create a sense of visual symmetry with the cathedral. At the time, the facades of the buildings on this side were aligned with the central entrance of the cathedral. The proposed enlargement would have shaped the square into a large rectangle, with a semicircular section facing the cathedral. Vigny de Vigny also proposed this type of square for the Chamber of Accounts [fr] and City Hall [fr]. However, the project was never executed.
During the French Revolution, the square was renamed Place des Gracques.
In 1860, Henri-Théodore Driollet [fr] also devised a plan to expand the square. Ultimately, the competition for the redesign of the esplanade was won by Eugène Demangeat [fr], a Nantes-born architect based in Paris who had previously won the second Prix de Rome. The square was demolished in 1867 and subsequently rebuilt between 1868 and 1872. Construction of the cathedral, which had spanned 437 years, was completed in 1891.

## Notable buildings and landmarks

The Nantes Cathedral, constructed between 1434 and 1891, is the dominant feature of the square. It has been designated a historic monument since 1862. The cathedral's Gothic architectural style, tuffeau stone construction, and height of 63 meters contribute to its prominence. Additionally, the cathedral houses the tomb and effigies of Duke Francis II of Brittany and his wife, Marguerite de Foix.
At the cathedral's entrance, a four-step staircase, constructed during the square's leveling in 1867, accentuates its grandeur.
The 1868 alignment formed a regular square, measuring 60 meters on each side, bordered by identical five-story facades in the Haussmannian style. These facades feature shops on the ground floor and balconies made of cast iron on the upper floors.
* Building, western part of the square
* Western facade of the cathedral and its forecourt

## Cinema

The square served as the setting for the film L'Ironie du sort [fr] by Édouard Molinaro (1974).