[2] The Catholic religious order of the Capuchin friars arrived in Nantes in 1593, under the patronage of Duke of Mercœur, and were established in the faubourg du Marchix (now the area around the Place de Bretagne).

The development of Place de la Comédie was hindered by complex negotiations with the Capuchins, who had to agree to cede part of their land.

[4] Construction of the building at the corner with Rue Piron was facilitated by a loan of 20,000 francs from the renowned general of the Empire Pierre Cambronne.

[4] The statue of Pierre Cambronne, created by Jean Debay and placed on a base designed by Henri-Théodore Driollet, was inaugurated on July 28, 1848.

In 1890, a bandstand was built near the Cambronne statue (on its eastern side) to host concerts by the municipal theater orchestras four nights a week.