Place François-Rude

Square in Dijon

Place Du Bareuzai Dijon
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Francis of Dijon

Place François-Rude, known locally as Place du Bareuzai, is a central square in downtown Dijon. Situated at a bustling city crossroads, this square intersects Rue des Forges, Rue François-Rude, and Rue de la Liberté, making it one of the most visited tourist spots in Dijon. The square is named in honor of the sculptor François Rude (1784-1855), who was born close by at 5 Rue François-Rude.

History of Place François-Rude

Place François-Rude was established in 1904 following the demolition of a block of ancient houses, which included the medieval Hôtel de Rochefort-Lucey, along Rue du Lacet and Rue de la Tonnellerie.

Notable Buildings of Place François-Rude

The north side of the square features medieval half-timbered houses. The east side is bordered by an 18th-century building at the junction with Rue de la Liberté and the Foucherot house, constructed in 1775 from cut stone by Dijon architect Claude Saint-Père. On the west side, there is a former department store building, “À la Ménagère,” built between 1895 and 1897, a large neo-Renaissance bank building from the 1920s, a recent glass extension for commercial space in Bareuzai Courtyard, and the 16th-century tower of the Jacqueron hotel.

At the center of the square’s fountain, created in 1904, stands the statue “Le Vendangeur,” a work by Noël-Jules Girard from the 1850s, cast by Thiébaut. It depicts a winegrower treading grapes in a vat, showing only the upper part of the vat. This figure is the reason the locals affectionately refer to the square as Bareuzai Square, after the Burgundian term for someone who crushes grapes, leaving their legs stained pink, hence the “pink bottom.”

The square also hosts a market on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, adding to its lively atmosphere.

The Place François-Rude appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Dijon!

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Visiting Place François-Rude

Hours:

24 Hours


Price:

Free

Address: Place François Rude, Dijon, France
Duration: 20 minutes

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