The Place Bellecour is a large square in the city of Lyon, France, to the north of the Ainay district. Measuring 312 m by 200 m (62,000 m²), it is the largest clear square (i.e., without any patches of greenery, trees or any other kind of obstacles) in Europe, and the third biggest square of France, behind the place des Quinconces in Bordeaux (126,000 m²) and the place de la Concorde in Paris (86,400 m²). It is also the largest pedestrian square of Europe, the places mentioned above can accommodate vehicles, as opposed to the Place Bellecour.
In the middle is a statue of king Louis XIV mounted on a horse, made by François-Frédéric Lemot in 1825. Another statue, representing the Petit Prince and Antoine de Saint-Exupery, is located at the west end of the square.
Two pavilions are also on the square. The first houses the tourist information office of Lyon, the second an art gallery.
The square belongs to the zone classified as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Read more about Place Bellecour: Location, History, Statues, Main Events
Famous quotes containing the word place:
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