Place des Vosges, Paris, France

by Mark Czerniec | December 29, 2002 — 11:40 am

Paris, France — Dan Falato stands in the Place des Vosges, the centerpiece of the Marais district built by Henri IV from 1605 to 1612.

Originally known as the Place Royale, it was the exclusive residence of the rich and powerful of France until the Revolution. In 1800, Napoleon promised to rename the square in honor of whichever district was first to pay its taxes. The Vosges region (near Germany) paid first, so Place Royal became the Place des Vosges.