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The Place de la Comédie, looking east

The Opéra Comédie and the Three Graces fountain on the Place de la Comédie.

The Place de la Comédie is the main focal point of the city of Montpellier, in the Hérault département in southern France. It is located at the south-west point of the city centre, at 43°36′30″N 3°52′47″E / 43.60833°N 3.87972°E / 43.60833; 3.87972Coordinates: 43°36′30″N 3°52′47″E / 43.60833°N 3.87972°E / 43.60833; 3.87972, where in previous times the fortifications of the city were located.

[edit] History

The square is first mentioned in 1755 and is named after the theatre located there, which burned down in 1785 and 1855.^{[citation needed]}

The Place became the main focal point of the city when, in the mid-19th century the main railway station (Gare de Montpellier Saint-Roch) was built some 200 metres south of it. At that time, a smaller train going to the nearby beach at Palavas-les-Flots also had its provenance on the Place.

[edit] Location

At the center of the square is a fountain called the Three Graces, built by sculptor Étienne d'Antoine in 1790.^{[citation needed]} The original piece was placed in the Musée Fabre in 1989, but moved again during the refurbishment of the museum to the Opéra Comédie, which is located at the square.^{[citation needed]}

At its northeastern corner the square continues into the Esplanade de Charles de Gaulle, a small park connecting the Place to the Corum, a large concrete and granite complex built by Claude Vasconi. At its southeastern corner it is linked to the Lycée Joffre, formerly the Citadel of Montpellier.

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