Place Saint-Léger

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The entire length of the square with a clock tower (left).

The Place Saint-Léger is the central public square in the center of the old town of Chambery in eastern France . It runs for about 300 meters, slightly curved, in a north-west-south-east direction as a pedestrian zone and is bordered by two rows of houses, most of which date from the 18th century. Under the patronage of Saint-Léger , the Chapelle Saint-Léger , which had stood there until then, is named. The last mass took place there on June 8, 1760.

The square is completely paved and equipped with contemporary, slightly historicized street furniture . Cafés use parts of the traffic areas . The greatest distance between the two rows of houses is 25 meters.

history

Originally, the building was along two quays held that the river Albanne , who in Chambery in the Leysse limited opens. They were called Grande rue in the north and Rue Graterie in the south. Several bridges connected both banks. In the middle on an island was the Saint-Léger church, which is said to have been built in 1240. The single-nave structure measured four by thirteen toises . Around the church there were smaller wooden huts, so-called cabornes , which were used for market purposes. The city name Chambéry is derived from them.

Due to the growing need for hygiene, the river was removed from the city and drained, and the church was demolished due to its dilapidation, after the many arms and the marshland of the river and the plains around the city and the lords' castle had already been filled in since the Middle Ages from Chambéry to round off.

By 1765 the church had been demolished and the square leveled. The sale of the masonry made 11,000 livres . The open space became Place Saint-Léger and quickly developed into an urban center.

Since 1969, the square has been converted into a pedestrian zone, a decision by the city council that was heavily controversial, but quickly proved its worth and which was followed by other zones from 1975. During this time numerous buildings were renovated. The annual Christmas market, which was previously located on the Boulevard du Théâtre , has also been held here since 2014 .

In 1864 the octagonal fountain La Fontaine des Marmoussets was installed in the southern part of the square at the exit of the Rue de la Métropole . It is a replica of the fountain from 1670 that had to give way to the construction of the town hall. The fountain figures form two bronze cherub players who hold garlands of flowers and fruits. It was designed by Antoine Coysevox , who is also responsible for many works in the Palace of Versailles .

Surrounded structures

Inner courtyard with Porte de Celse Morin (left) and Allée Henry Planche at night, March 2018
Hôtel particulier Hotel Dieulefis , July 2018

The full list of the Monuments historiques in Chambéry contains all the buildings in the city that are classified as Monument Historique .

The right-angled alleys that open onto the square are a specialty . There are 15 of them in total. They connect - sometimes far away - other streets that are either parallel or at right angles to Place Saint-Léger. These alleys allow further entrances to the sometimes very spacious buildings. The reason for these buildings leading deep into the property is the tax system of the 14th century, which took the building width towards the square as the basis for calculation. Also noteworthy is the Celse Morin gate from the 16th century, which can only be reached via two streets, and the clock tower, which can be reached via two parallel streets and which has a special trompe l'oeil painting. All streets are built over several times with flying buttresses from the adjacent buildings, some with bridges and bay windows.

The alleys start clockwise from the north:

  • Allée no.232, starting at house no.232
  • Allée Deyres
  • Allée Burdin
  • Allée Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • Allée de la Cure
  • Allée Gotteland
  • Allée des Frères Mineurs
  • Allee de la Banque
  • Allée Hôtel Favier du Noyer
  • Allée de l'imprimerie
  • Allée le Porte Reine
  • Allée Roger Dumaz
  • Allée Bollon
  • Allée Henry Planche
  • Allée de Boigne

In the years 1824 to 1830, the square was broken through at one point by a transverse axis, the Rue de Boigne , on which high-quality residential and commercial buildings were built by wealthy families. Luxury shops and tea houses have been set up on the ground floor. The project was financed by the eponymous Benoît de Boigne (1751–1830), who had made his fortune and fortune in India as an adventurer and mercenary and bequeathed it to her after returning to his hometown.

The three Hôtels particuliers, Hôtel Dieulefis from the 15th century, Hôtel de Montjoie from 1670 and Hôtel du Bourget from 1773 are particularly noteworthy .

Web links

Commons : Place Saint-Léger  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c André Perrin: Notice historique sur l'église paroissiale de Saint-Léger, à Chambéry . Bottero, Chambéry 1863
  2. ^ Jean-Pierre Leguay: La pollution au Moyen Age: dans le royaume de France et dans les grands fiefs . Jean-Paul Gisserot 1999, ISBN 978-2-8774-7433-7 , page 37
  3. ^ Gabriel Pérouse: Les environs de Chambéry: Promenades historiques et archéologiques. La Fontaine de Siloé 1999, ISBN 978-2-9086-9747-6 , page 346
  4. ^ Jean-Pierre Leguay: L'eau dans la ville au Moyen Âge . Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2015, ISBN 978-2-7535-2506-1 , page 205
  5. ↑ Chapelle St Léger . St-Leger-info
  6. ^ François Juttet (editor): Lecture d'une ville . Comp'Act (Association des Guides-Conférenciers) 2005, ISBN 2-87661-374-3 , pages 287 and 404-407
  7. ↑ La fontaine des Marmoussets de la place Saint Léger à Chambéry on petit-patrimoine

Coordinates: 45 ° 33 ′ 53 "  N , 5 ° 55 ′ 15"  E