Place Bellecour in France, Lyon resort
Rating: 8,2/10 (2493 votes) 
Place Bellecour is located in the heart of the historic Old Town of Lyon. The area is notable for being the largest cystic area in Europe – an area devoid of landscaping and any buildings. The only monuments standing on the territory of 50 km 2 are the statue of King Louis XIV on horseback, and the modest statue of the Little Prince. This huge area is did not become immediately. Roman troops and settlers organized warehouses and a small market here, as the chronicles testify. Until the very fall of the Roman Empire, wooden market stalls and barns were located here. Later, the swamp with several islands was abandoned. They began to inhabit the swampy area near the hills in the XII century. The local bishop bought these lands with the money of the church, and ordered to lay out the Wonderful Garden here – which was essentially a vineyard. Until the second half of the 16th century, the vineyard served faithfully the nearby cathedrals, making church wine. In 1562, internecine skirmishes between the counties led to the destruction of the Lyon vineyard. The drained swamp and Divny Sad were turned into a pasture for livestock. 1604 was the year of the creation of the square. Before the square was defeated, the city authorities, and personally the king of France had to confront several clans, who legally inherited these lands from the diocese. A century of disputes could not subside, until in 1704, King Louis XIV, as sovereign, appropriated the territory for himself. The square, in the end, was broken up, called the Royal, and in its center was erected a bronze with gilding monument to the Sun King. During the Great Revolution, the square was given the name of Freedom, and in 1792 it turned into the main place of executions – the guillotine was brought here. The execution weapon on the site of the demolished statue of the king stood until 1825. At the same time, the square was renamed, giving its modern name.  
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