Square du Vert-Galant: The Green Tip of the Island
Why is it significant?
Descend the curving stone staircase beside the statue of Henri IV and step onto the gravel tip of the Square du Vert-Galant. Walk all the way to the cobblestone prow where the majestic weeping willow branches dip directly into the swirl of the Seine.
Key Facts
| Place | Square du Vert-Galant: The Green Tip of the Island |
|---|---|
| Address | 15 Place du Pont Neuf, 75001 Paris |
| Geo Coordinates | 48.85760, 2.33960 |
| Part of Walk | Islands of the Seine: Pont Neuf, Royal Courts, and Gothic Splendor |
| Generated | Generated |
Descend the curving stone staircase beside the statue of Henri IV and step onto the gravel tip of the Square du Vert-Galant. Walk all the way to the cobblestone prow where the majestic weeping willow branches dip directly into the swirl of the Seine. You are standing on the lowest ground of the Île de la Cité, sitting right at water level as sightseeing boats glide by on either side.
The park's name, Vert-Galant, meaning Gay Gallant or Green Gallant, was the fond nickname of King Henri the Fourth, celebrating his youthful vigor and numerous romantic mistresses despite his advanced age. Before this park was laid out, this spit of land consisted of two tiny islets: the Île aux Juifs and the Île du Patriarche.
This serene green oasis has a chilling past: on March eighteenth, thirteen fourteen, right on this swampy point, Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake by order of King Philip the Fair. As the flames engulfed him, Molay famously cursed the king and Pope Clement the Fifth, summoning both to appear before God's judgment within a year—and both died within months.
Take a quiet rest under the willow before we finish our walk across from Notre-Dame at Shakespeare and Company.