Place Crillon (Crillon Square), Avignon

Place Crillon (Crillon Square), Avignon

Crillon Square (Place Crillon), located in Avignon, is a historic square with a rich past that dates back to the early 17th century. On the 1618 city plan, it appears as the second largest square in Avignon, following the grand square of the Palace of the Popes. Originally known as “Place du Limas”, the square's initial name, "limas," derived from the Latin "limaceus" (meaning muddy), referred to land reclaimed from the Rhône River in this area. Over the years, it was renamed Comedy Square (Place de la Comédie) before finally being named Crillon Square in 1843, in honor of Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon, a distinguished 16th-century captain who passed away in Avignon in 1615.

Historically, Crillon Square was home to a statue of Saint Bénézet, perched on a two-meter-high pedestal and protected by an iron gate, until 1766. On the north side of the square stands the Hôtel d'Europe. Its construction spanned several centuries, from the 16th to the 19th, and it welcomed its first notable guest, Napoleon Bonaparte, in 1799, shortly after opening.

Opposite the Hôtel d'Europe once stood the Royal Palace Hotel (Hôtel du Palais-Royal), a favored stop for travelers between Marseille and Paris. Owned by Claude Etienne Pierron in the late 18th century, it hosted notable figures like General Bonaparte in 1798 and Pope Pius VII in 1809. Stendhal mentioned it in his 1837 Memoirs of a Tourist. It was also the site of Marshal Brune's assassination by White Terror supporters on August 2, 1815, an event later harshly depicted by Alexandre Dumas, Brune's godson, in his novel Les Compagnons de Jéhu.

Today, Crillon Square stands as a reminder of Avignon’s layered history, with its ties to notable historical figures, literary references, and its evolution in name and purpose over the centuries.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Avignon. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Place Crillon (Crillon Square) on Map

1
30 m
100 ft
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sight Name: Place Crillon (Crillon Square)
Sight Location: Avignon, France (See walking tours in Avignon)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Avignon, France

Create Your Own Walk in Avignon

Create Your Own Walk in Avignon

Creating your own self-guided walk in Avignon is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Avignon's Architectural Jewels

Avignon's Architectural Jewels

Centuries of history in Avignon are well seen in the stones of some of France’s best preserved architectural monuments. The city's architecture may well not be as diverse as elsewhere in the country, but it is really difficult to find another place whose history is just as complicated and dynamic as Avignon's.

Being one of only two cities on earth that can claim to be the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Avignon Introduction Walking Tour

Avignon Introduction Walking Tour

The thing about a wall around a city is to keep unwanted visitors out. But the massive walls encircling Avignon tend to keep visitors in. And the visitors don't mind it. Is this a mystery? Not when one considers what is inside the walls of Avignon. And forget driving. Park the car and walk.

First encounter is the Popes' Palace. This awesome mountain of a palace was built in the 1300s....  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles