Allowed for animals
Open all year round
In 1307, the square became known as Place du Pilori, where criminals were exposed to the crowds as an example. When the city was taken by the English in 1346, the district was burnt down, marking the beginning of the square's economic decline.
The Revolution set up its guillotine there, where it was to serve long afterwards. Jean-Baptiste Breton, known as Berton (1769 - 1822) was a general of the Empire who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic campaigns. Nostalgic for the Empire, he plotted against Louis XVIII and inspired various conspiracies in the region (Thouars, Saumur). Arrested and tried, he was guillotined there on 5 October 1822.
General Berton died shouting "Vive la Liberté". In memory of these last words, the square was renamed Place de la Liberté in 1900. In 1903, the Masonic Lodge erected a statue of Liberty to light up the world, a reduced copy of Bartholdi's work offered to the city of New York.
Located in the heart of the Safeguarded Sector, this square has benefited from a major programme of restoration and renovation of its architectural heritage.
