Place Dauphine
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Place Dauphine is a triangle-shaped square on the western tip of the Île de la Cité. King Henri IV created it in 1607, together with the nearby Pont Neuf.
A square for the prince
In 1607 Henri IV decided to build a new square on the island. He dedicated it to his son, the heir to the throne, born in 1601.
The king handed the land to a loyal judge. In return, the judge had to build the houses to a set plan, with the same front for all.
What to look at in the square
At first there were thirty-two identical houses, of brick and pale stone, with slate roofs. On the ground floor, under the arches, were the workshops. The square became a place of trade, close to the palace of justice.
Today only a few houses look as they did then: the others were raised or altered. The side facing the Palais de Justice was knocked down in the 1800s.
The Pont Neuf and the king on horseback
The tip of the triangle opens onto the Pont Neuf, begun in 1578 and opened in the early 1600s. It is the oldest bridge in Paris still standing.
In the middle of the bridge stands a statue of Henri IV on horseback. Today's statue dates from 1818: the first one, from 1614, was torn down during the Revolution.
