Today, this square is home to the Hotel de Ville de Paris (Paris Town Hall). Originally, the square was nothing more than a marshy area on which a port was created, needed for numerous Parisian commercial activities. In 1357, the municipal authorities, gathered together as an assembly under Saint Louis, established themselves on this square. Before it took the name of Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, it was called Place de Grève (Riverbank Square), because the place was a bank leading down to the River Seine. People who were looking for a job used to wait there. Place de Grève is sadly known for having been a place of public executions, from the Middle Ages up to 1832: in the 14th Century, there stood an imposing cross on this spot, in front of which the condemned said their last prayer. Amongst others who were executed there was Ravaillac, the assassin of Henri IV, also Damien, who tried to assassinate Louis XV. A guillotine was set up in 1792. From the times of Louis XI, Les Feux de la Saint-Jean, a fête very popular with Parisians, was held on this square. It was not uncommon for the king himself to light the pyre. The square was also used as a marking point to measure the rise of the Seine's water levels.
Things to see:
The façade of the Hôtel de Ville
The fountains on the main square
Things to do:
Skate on the ice rink open to the public in winter
Go and see the entertainment which punctuates life on the square all year round
Take advantage of the entertainment put on during the Paris Plage event in summer
Nearby:
The Marais quarter
Ile de la Cité
Ile Saint-Louis
The department store BHV
Read the guide
Map
Multimedia
Paris, France 
