Place Vendôme is a square in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Place Vendôme was laid out in 1702 as a monument to the glory of the armies of Louis XIV. Its regular architecture by Jules Hardouin-Mansart and pedimented screens canted across the corners give the rectangular place Vendôme the aspect of an octagon. The Vendôme Column at the centre of the square was erected by Napoleon I to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz. The original column was started in 1806 at Napoleon's direction and completed in 1810. It was modelled after Trajan's Column. The plates on the side of the column were designed by Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret. (wikipedia.org)