Square Saint-Gilles-Grand-Veneur, urban park in Paris, France
Square Saint-Gilles-Grand-Veneur is a small park in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, tucked between tall buildings and accessible only through narrow passages. It features neatly maintained lawns, climbing roses on trellises, and small paved paths designed in a traditional French garden style.
The park originated from a historic garden that once belonged to a 17th-century estate owner who organized royal hunts for the king. In 1988, this garden was transformed into a public park with added pathways and enhanced plantings.
The square's name honours Pauline Roland (1805–1852), a French feminist and socialist, whose name was added in 2010 to the earlier Saint-Gilles Grand-Veneur title. The Grand-Veneur name recalls the Hôtel du Grand-Veneur, the 17th-century building whose garden this once was, and Hennequin d'Ecquevilly, organiser of the king's hunts.
The garden is hidden from the street by the surrounding buildings: enter at 9 Rue du Grand-Veneur, or through the passage at 12 Rue Villehardouin and then the small Rue Hesse. Metro line 8 stops at Saint-Sébastien - Froissart and Chemin Vert. The ground is pale gravel with lawn edges, and four stone benches face the wall fountain.
The square is the smallest in the 3rd arrondissement, covering 987 m², and it is hidden from the street by the surrounding buildings, so visitors must pass through a porch or the Rue Hesse passage to find it. Its name honours Pauline Roland (1805–1852), a socialist feminist, added in 2010.
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