The Place des Promenades Populle is the green lung in the city center of Roanne! Completely renovated in 2013, it is today the place of relaxation, games and festivities in the heart of the city, popular with all visitors.
4 unmissable monuments on the promenade square
The fountain of the double staircase
This double staircase was created in 1933 during the construction of the Promenades Bridge. A fountain surmounted by a ceramic shell in shades of blue is built halfway up the staircase. It is made by a ceramist from Roanne: Adrienne Picard.
Booth
This kiosk has a great story. In 1898, the city of lyon built the kiosk for the Universal International and Colonial Exhibition of 1894. It is an octagonal kiosk in the style of Peynet. Bought by the town of Roanne, it gives all the charm of a quiet garden. It is now transformed into a bandstand during the city's summer programs.
The statue of the Poor People
Charles Louis Picaux makes this statue in white marble. This so-called “poor people” work was inspired by him during a trip to Paris and the sight of a mother and her child on a Parisian bench. Joseph Dechelette, a famous archaeologist from Roanne, inaugurated the statue in 1912.
The bust of François Populle
The creator of the square, former mayor of Roanne, had his place in the center of the garden. In 1900, Nicolas Lescornel produced the sculpted bust. It was replaced in 1995, the date of its flight!
Key dates
- 1812 : Creation of the place,
- 1856 : Passage of the railway,
- 1890 : Construction of a newsstand,
- 1930 : Construction of the Promenades Bridge,
- 1950 : Beginning of the construction of the "Skyscraper".
The Place des Promenades, pover 200 years of history
François Populle, mayor of Roanne from 1807 to 1815 allowed the creation of this public garden in Roanne in 1810. First called “Cours au Roi de Rome” then “Cours Populle”, in 1830 it became “Promenades Populle”.
The creation of the railway line which crosses the Loire department from Roanne to Andrézieux will modify the garden. Heading west, the Promenades bridge reduces the surface area of the square!
![Place des Promenades à Roanne]()
Place des Promenades in Roanne © Médiathèque de Roanne ![Place des Promenades à Roanne]()
Place des Promenades in Roanne © Médiathèque de Roanne
The “Skyscraper”, an “innovative” real estate project in the square
In the 1950s, the real estate company Les Promenades launched a crazy project: creating a building, the “skyscraper”, the tallest in France at the time. It is the bet of 2 architects: Roche and Pavero, they will design a building of 15 floors and 60 meters high.
The Skyscraper is:
- A facade with large balconies towards the square and the garden,
- 35 apartments where each apartment has many rooms and unique features for the 50s,
- Apartments for sale at high prices.
This building was for a long time the pride of all the inhabitants. Even today, it sits on the edge of the square and each apartment for rent or purchase never remains vacant for long, according to the real estate agency.
The Place de Promenades completely redesigned in 2013
In 2013, the municipal project “Cœur de cité” is working to reclaim the place by its inhabitants. Many changes will take place to make it a green place where it is good to take the time, stroll, walk.
It's today an intergenerational meeting place thanks to the games set up for children, the benches to sit quietly. It is also a festive place that hosts concerts on beautiful summer evenings.
