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' The
republique square is situated where meadows used to separate the medieval
districts of the city, Bourg-Le-Roi and Saint-Jean. In the XVIIth century, the
place is turned into a square in order to urbanize the space between parishes
Saint-Jean and Notre-Dame ( 1635 - 1637 ). This ' Road Square',
renamed Place Royale in 1679, welcomes the statue of Louis XIV in 1685. It
reprensents the monarch in Roman emperor and is surronded by borders and with
rows of limetrees. The square is then in the heart of a new very rich district,
appreciated by the aristocracy which has magnificent mansions built. The
XIXth century will see it placed in the center of the local administrative
life. The municipality becomes established in the “Eudistes” monastery and the
city hall is settled there in 1791. The statue of Louis XIV vandalized during
the revolution is restaured by the Mayor Forest D’Osseville in 1828. The
central post office is built on its edge in 1881 whereas the prefecture is
connected to the place by the street of Hotel-de-Ville. The public garden becomes
“ the Imperial Square” then the “République Square”. This last naming badly accommodates
with the presence of the symbol of the absolutism. It is thus decided, in august
1882, to transfer the statue towards the park of Abbaye aux Hommes in front of
the high school in Guillouard Square. It will stay there until the High school
is turned in the new Hotel de ville. In April 1882, the Royal Square undergoes
a complete facelift on the initiative of the city council. Renamed “Place de la
République”, it is transformed into a public garden benefiting from the street
lighting and ornamented by flowerbeds an terraces. Metal bars of fence are
fitted out around the square the following year.
In 1882, a musical
bandstand is installed with the name of big composers on its summit. The pavillon
becomes the meeting point of music lovers who come in particular to attend the
weekly concerts of military music from the city.The pavillon survives the war
but is destroyed during the refitting of the square ravaged by bombardments. “
* Extract of “CAEN
100 years ago in ancient postcards”, Christophe BELSER published by Heritages
Media Holdings, collection AD on 2008.
