Popes' Palace Square
Pope Benedict had the houses demolished and razed the narrow streets which wound their way to the palace (Rue du Maréchal, Rue des Champeaux and Rue Notre-Dame), which opened up a lot of space.
The ruins of the demolished homes lay scattered about up until 1603, when they were finally removed. The drawing from 1618 shows that the square was still very rough, but was beginning to be developed, as seen in the lane of mulberry trees that ran across the square up to the Petit Palais.
The square was used for executions during the Ancien Régime, then again during the Reign of Terror. The guillotine operated on the square from 8 March to 26 June 1794.
Today many prestigious monuments border the square:
Calvet de la Palun mansion (now the "Carré du Palais")
Hôtel des Monnaies
Petit Palais Museum
Cathedral of Notre-Dame des Doms
Palace of the Popes
An underground car park has been built below the square.
