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View East up 'Square du Vert-Gallant' showing the Statue of Henri IV directly above 3 Pillars/Twin Stairwells between which is the Jacques de Molay Plaque.
View East up 'Square du Vert-Gallant' showing the Statue of Henri IV directly above 3 Pillars/Twin Stairwells between which is the Jacques de Molay Plaque.

 
 
 
The 3 Pillars / Twin Stairwells and The Plaque
The 3 Pillars / Twin Stairwells and The Plaque

 
 
The Plaque The Plaque - Close-Up
The Plaque
The Plaque - Close-Up

 
 
View looking West over the 'Square du Vert-Gallant'
View looking West over the 'Square du Vert-Gallant'
"For a long time the western tip of the Ile de la Cite gave way to a muddy marshy area broken by the river currents.
In 1314 Philip le Bel had a stake errected on one of the mounds of ground for the Grand Master of the Order of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, watching him burn from his palace window.
At the end of the 16C Henri III decided to reorganise this untidy no-mans-land: the mud ditches were in-filled consolidating the patches of solid ground, a great earth bank was amassed to support the future Pont Neuf, and the south bank was raised by some 6m - 20ft. By about 1580 the new terrain was ready for the developers.
In 1607 Henri IV ceded the land between the Conciergerie and the Pont Neuf for a triangular square to be built. The Square ('Place Dauphine') was named after the Dauphin, in honour of the future Louis XIII. 
Down the stairs behind the Henri IV statue is the 'Square du Vert-Gallant'. This serene stretch of green, below the hum of traffic, is at its natural ground level, before the land was build up by Henri III. It's name derives from the nickname given to Henri IV, alluding to his reputation as an amorous gentleman despite his age!"
(Michelin Green Guide to Paris)

 
 
Statue of Henri IV in 'Place Dauphine' with the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' falling away below to the Left (West)
Statue of Henri IV in 'Place Dauphine' with the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' falling away below to the Left (West)

 
 
 
View of The Plaque from 'Square du Vert-Gallant' (North side) with South Span of 'Pont Neuf' in background to the Right View of the Westernmost tip of the 'Ile de la Cite', showing 'PlaceDauphine' with Statue of Henri IV on the Right, and the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' stretching out below it to the Left (West)
View of The Plaque from 'Square du Vert-Gallant' (North side) with South Span of 'Pont Neuf' in background to the Right
View of the Westernmost tip of the 'Ile de la Cite', showing  'PlaceDauphine' with Statue of Henri IV on the Right, and the 'Square du Vert-Gallant' stretching out below it to the Left (West)

 
 
View of the Southern Span of the 'Pont Neuf' attaching to the 'Ile de la Cite', with the 'Place Dauphine' and Easternmost part of 'Square du Vert-Gallant' below it and to the left of the picture. 
View of the Southern Span of the 'Pont Neuf' attaching to the 'Ile de la Cite', with the 'Place Dauphine' and Easternmost part of 'Square du Vert-Gallant' below it and to the left of the picture. 

 
 
'Place Dauphine' and easternmost part of 'Square du Vert-Gallant' below it. Zooming-in on The Plaque - the tree is the one in the centre of the previous picture. Zooming-in further:
'Place Dauphine' and easternmost part of 'Square du Vert-Gallant' below it.
 Zooming-in on The Plaque - the tree is the one in the centre of the previous picture. Zooming-in further:
The Left Stairwell, Central Pillar and The Plaque.

 

 

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