Alright, on your right, you’ll spot Latin America Square-Paris’s little salute to the southern side of the globe. Now, if you’re expecting Versailles-level grandeur... well, I hope you’re not easily disappointed. This patch of green barely cracks two thousand square meters, making it the kind of park where, if you sneeze at one end, someone at the other will bless you.
Planted back in 1931 on the grounds of the old Thiers fortifications-think less moat-and-castle, more 19th-century city defense-this triangular garden has seen its share of tribute. By 1936, Paris wanted to show a little international flair, so they scattered busts and statues in a gentle arc, all honoring Latin America’s greats. You’ve got Andrés Bello from Venezuela, Rubén Darío from Nicaragua, Ricardo Palma from Peru, and so on; a veritable intellectual United Nations, all staring each other down across flowerbeds.
Taking center stage now is Francisco de Miranda-Venezuelan revolutionary, globe-trotter, and general overachiever. Statue by statue, these bronze folks hold court over, let’s be honest, a sandbox and a swing set. Kids play amidst literary giants; imagine explaining that at school.
And, for something a little more avant-garde, “Mythic Poem” by Costa Rica’s Jorge Jiménez Deredia watches from one entrance. It’s abstract enough to spark arguments-Which side’s the front? Is it smiling? Does it have one of those existential crises French philosophers love?
Oh-and fun fact-there was once a legendary nightclub under the park called “La Main Jaune.” Neon skates, synth beats, all-night dances... Paris kept its cool both above and below ground. This square is proof: in the 17th, even the smallest park throws a global party.
