Place du Martroi has been at the heart of Orléans for centuries, but its present appearance owes much to the reshaping of the city centre in the 18th and 19th centuries. When the Rue Royale was created, the square was redeveloped, and today its centre is dominated by Denis Foyatier’s monumental equestrian statue of Jeanne d’Arc.
The bronze statue was inaugurated on 8 May 1855 during the Fêtes de Jeanne d’Arc. The bas-reliefs on its pedestal, by Vital-Dubray, depict episodes from Jeanne’s life. The pedestal was damaged during the fighting for the liberation of Orléans in 1944, and the original reliefs, now preserved in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, were replaced by casts.
The square has a much older history than its present appearance suggests. Its name is thought to derive from the Latin martyrium, possibly referring to a Gallo-Roman cemetery on the site. After the medieval city expanded, the Martroi became an important market place; during the Revolution, it was also where the guillotine was erected.
Bon samedi dans Centre-Val de Loire!
“The streets here don’t hurry. They simply invite you to walk, to notice, to belong.”
Part of the “On the Streets of the Loire” Series
Each Saturday, we stroll through the lanes and cobbles of Loire towns and villages — places where every step feels like a story.
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