Place Royale is the formal 18th-century square at the crossroads of central Reims, built to honour King Louis XV in the city where French kings were crowned. It sits on the site of the forum of Roman Durocorturum, and at its centre the king still stands in bronze, dressed as a Roman emperor, above two figures carved by the sculptor Jean-Baptiste Pigalle.
Place Royale at a glance
- Where: in the centre of Reims, between the cathedral and the Place du Forum, at the end of Rue Colbert.
- Built: approved by the king's council in 1755; work began in the late 1750s and the monument was inaugurated in 1765.
- By: laid out by the royal engineer Jean-Gabriel Legendre; the monument by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, with the present statue of the king by Pierre Cartellier (1818).
- What it is today: a listed historic monument, framed by arcaded buildings that include the sub-prefecture of the Marne in the former Hôtel des Fermes.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes, longer if you continue to the Roman remains on the Place du Forum next door.
A royal square cut through a medieval maze
In the mid-18th century this part of Reims was a tangle of narrow lanes, much of it owned by the cathedral chapter. City leaders argued that the coronation city needed a proper square and straight streets, and in 1755 the king's council approved the plan, placing the square at the crossing of the roads from Paris to the eastern frontier and from Flanders to Burgundy. The archbishop and the chapter fought it in court and lost in 1756, and the old quarter was cleared. The new square followed the lines of the ancient Roman main streets, the cardo and decumanus.
Pigalle's monument was unveiled in 1765, showing Louis XV in Roman dress with a hand stretched out over his people. During the Revolution the statue of the king was destroyed, but the figures on the pedestal survived, and in 1818, under the restored monarchy, Pierre Cartellier made the bronze king you see today. The square stayed unfinished until 1910, when the bank building on the south-west side completed it. The First World War shells hit Reims hard, and behind most of the facades around the square the buildings were rebuilt.
What to look for
- The statue of Louis XV by Cartellier, crowned with laurel and dressed in Roman style, one arm stretched out over the square.
- The bronze figure of a relaxed, seated man on the pedestal, known as the Happy Citizen, enjoying the peace and plenty of good government.
- On the opposite side, a woman leading a lion: an allegory of a gentle ruler who governs by kindness rather than force.
- The pediment of the former Hôtel des Fermes, today the sub-prefecture, with carvings that refer to the trade of Reims.
- The arcades and balustraded rooflines that give the square its unified look, and the upper storeys added later that break it.
The face behind the Happy Citizen
A popular story says that Pigalle gave the Happy Citizen his own features, making the relaxed man on the pedestal a self-portrait. It is a nice detail to look for, but treat it as tradition rather than proven fact.
Tips for your visit
- Walk around the monument rather than viewing it from one side: the king and the two pedestal figures face different directions.
- Look down Rue Colbert from the square for the straight perspective planned in the 18th century towards the Hôtel de Ville.
- Morning light is good for the bronze, and the square is calmer before the shops open.
- Combine it with the cathedral, which the 18th-century planners linked to the square by widening the street for the coronation processions.
Nearby
- Reims Cathedral: the Gothic coronation church of the French kings, a few minutes' walk away.
- The Cryptoportique on Place du Forum: a Roman underground gallery that was part of the same forum as Place Royale.
- Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur: a Renaissance mansion on Place du Forum with collections on the history of Reims.
- Hôtel de Ville: the 17th-century town hall at the end of Rue Colbert.
See Reims with World City Trail
Our Reims scavenger hunt turns the city centre into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 31 minutes of walking. Among the places it includes are Reims Cathedral, the Palace of Tau and the Porte de Mars.
For people who prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Reims.
Play the Reims scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Reims →
Play the outdoor escape game in Reims →
Facts checked in October 2026.