Squares

Place du Ralliement

Angers

Place du Ralliement is a square in the center of Angers, in Maine-et-Loire, France. It serves as a major gathering and passage point for thousands of Angevins each day and hosts meetings and various events. Since 2010, it has been entirely pedestrian, with access limited to pedestrians, trams, bicycles, emergency vehicles, and delivery vehicles. The square is fully paved and was redeveloped to accommodate the tramway, while underground parking entrances were moved to adjacent streets.

Its history reflects several phases of change. After the Revolution of 1789, nearby collegiate churches were sold as national property in 1791, and the square, then called Place Saint-Maurille, was renamed Place du Ralliement because of civil and military gatherings. During the French Revolution, it hosted assemblies, an arbre de la Liberté was planted there, and a guillotine was installed from late 1793 to mid-1794. The square remained narrow, sloped, and uneven until at least 1841. Further redevelopment followed the theatre fire of 1865 and the disappearance of the hospice in 1872, with later works in 1994 and 2010 shaping its present form.

Map showing the location of Place du Ralliement in Angers
Location of Place du Ralliement in Angers

Nearby Objects

A central pedestrian square

Place du Ralliement is a square in the city of Angers, in Maine-et-Loire, France. Located in the center of the city, it functions as a major gathering and passage point for thousands of Angevins each day. The square also hosts meetings and various events, giving it a regular role in public life. Since 2010, it has been entirely pedestrian, which reinforces its function as a shared urban space for movement and assembly.

Historical Uses and Early Form

Place du Ralliement was initially named Place Saint-Maurille, a reference to its slope and irregular shape. It was later renamed for the civil and military gatherings held there. During the French Revolution, the square served as a place for assemblies linked to death sentences, conscripts, and the National Guard. An arbre de la Liberte was planted there, and a guillotine was installed from late 1793 to mid-1794. Among those executed at the site were Noel Pinot, Jean-Michel Langevin, and fifteen of the 99 martyrs of Angers. The square remained narrow, sloped, and uneven until at least 1841. Its reorganization followed the Theatre fire in 1865 and the disappearance of the hospice in 1872.

Redevelopment and Public Use

Place du Ralliement was enlarged and redeveloped after 1872, and it later underwent further works in 1994, when new esplanade redevelopment was carried out while the underground parking with 420 spaces, built in the 1970s, was retained. The square was redeveloped again in 2010 to accommodate the tramway. At that time, it was pedestrianized and fully paved, and access was limited to pedestrians, trams, bicycles, emergency vehicles, and delivery vehicles. The entrances to the underground parking were moved to adjacent streets to make way for the tramway station installation.

The 2010 configuration also created larger spaces for annual events such as Accroche-Coeurs and the Christmas market. Beyond public events, the square was a filming location for the television program Midi en France in 2012. It is also used for parking CRS units and unmarked police vehicles in order to prevent public order disturbances, with CRS units positioned in the city center rather than the suburbs according to national police headquarters.