Place Gambetta, square in Vannes, France

Place Gambetta is a hemispherical square in central Vannes, forming the junction between the historic centre and the port. It opens in an arc facing the harbour, immediately south of the Porte Saint-Vincent. The buildings around it, completed in 1843, use white stone and granite facades in a neo-classical style.

The square was created in 1835 to drain the low ground of the former town moats, where wastewater collected and the Marle flowed between mudflats. The architect Philippe Brunet-Debaines planned to fill the mudflats, canalise the river and cover the Saint-Vincent bridge; after his death in 1838 Marius Charier took over, raising the buildings and using white stone and granite in a neo-classical style. The houses were finished in 1843, and the square was renamed after Léon Gambetta (1838-1882).

Place Gambetta links the historic centre to the port, immediately south of the Porte Saint-Vincent and Place des Lices. It is a busy east-west road crossing, so expect constant traffic. The open space is almost entirely taken up by café and restaurant terraces.