Place des Jacobins (Jacobins' Square), Lyon

Despite lying at the intersection of twelve streets and abuzz with heavy traffic, Place des Jacobins is a notable attraction.

Back in the late 13th century, the Jacobins established here a convent and a church; in time, the area which is now the square became a walled-off market. In 1556, the walls were knocked down and a triangular public square emerged.

Some of its buildings were pulled down in 1562 when Rue Saint Dominique was created. A small fountain was installed in the square and the locals used to meet here regularly to idle time away in gossip. The square was renamed Place du Comfort, but the fountain was too small to be of much use to the growing population, so eventually it had to be removed.

In 1609, a pyramidal obelisk was erected, topped by a cross with the name of God engraved in 24 languages around the base. This was destroyed during the French Revolution. The church was rebuilt in 1689 and the convent restored in 1714. In 1818 the church was destroyed again and the convent repurposed to accommodate the Préfecture until 1852.

The fountain that you see today was built in 1878 by Gaspard André. The four statues, representing Audran, Coustou, de l’Orme and Flandrin, were sculpted by Degeorges and installed in 1885. A plaque near the fountain, retracing the square’s history, was installed in 2004.