Place d'Armes (Luxembourg)

[1] After a huge fire in 1554 destroyed a large part of the Ville Haute, plans were made to lay out a square in the centre of the fortified town.

The task was assigned to the Dutch military engineer Sebastian van Noyen who designed the first version of the square, then known as the Neumarkt, or New Market.

In 1671, the Spanish engineer Jean Charles de Landas, Count of Louvigny, produced a slightly smaller square at the same location.

[1] Now an integral part of the pedestrian zone, the square is surrounded by numerous cafés and restaurants, all with pavement terraces in the summer months.

On the facade, there is a sculpture by Luxembourg artist P. Federspiel of Countess Ermisinde granting the Charter of Emancipation in 1244 which guaranteed the citizens rights and duties towards the nobility.