Place des Clercs, Public square in Vieux Valence, Valence, France

Place des Clercs is a broad paved square in old Valence, linking place de l'Université and place des Ormeaux. Its large rectangular stone slabs in grey and beige are bordered by pastel houses of two or three storeys with tiled roofs, and by the chevet of Saint-Apollinaire Cathedral. Cafés set out metal chairs, small tables and white parasols on the paving.

Mentioned as early as 1285, the square grew after the episcopal quarter was created in the 5th century. Medieval markets and courts were held here, and two churches stood on the site: the cathedral from the 11th century and the older Notre-Dame de la Ronde, of which a column survives in the public toilets. The Wars of Religion badly damaged these buildings.

The Cathedral of Saint Apollinaire sits beside the square, shaping how people experience this public space as a place where religious and everyday life meet. The location has long served as a gathering point where locals pass through on their way to shops and cafés, blending commerce with spiritual presence.

The square hosts shops and restaurants during the week, but on Saturday mornings a food market brings vendors selling regional products and local specialties to the space. Arriving early offers the best selection before items sell out during the day.

Mandrin was captured in Savoie in May 1755 and brought to Valence, where he was sentenced on 24 May and executed two days later. He wore a shirt and a placard reading "Chef des contrebandiers, criminels de lèse-majesté, assassins, voleurs et perturbateurs du repos public", and asked forgiveness before the cathedral.