Place Saint-Jacques, Metz
Place Saint-Jacques is in the center of Metz, in front of the Centre Saint-Jacques mall, between Rue Fabert and Rue Ladoucette, near the cathedral. The square gets its name from the Church of St. James that stood there until 1574, and its name has changed several times over the centuries, especially during the wars.
The square sits near the main Roman crossroads and almost on the site of the old Roman Forum.
A fountain stood in Place Saint-Jacques from 1498, but it was taken down in 1730 and rebuilt in 1759. It was destroyed again during the French Revolution and later moved to another street.
From 1832 a covered market for vegetables and flowers filled the square, with market contracts ending on December 26 each year as job-seekers gathered there. The market building was demolished in 1907 for sanitation reasons.
Today the square is known for its many coffeehouses and restaurants with outdoor seating.
A major feature is the statue of Our Lady of Metz. After World War I, local Catholics asked Bishop Willibrord Benzler to pledge a statue to protect the city from fighting. He agreed, but was expelled by French authorities in 1919 and died in 1921. The statue was inaugurated in 1924. It is a bronze figure about 1.9 meters tall, placed on an 8-meter-high column of Jaumont stone, with the column designed by Max Braemer and the statue by Jacques Martin.
On August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, Metz keeps a long-standing tradition. Mass is held at the Cathedral of Saint Étienne, then a procession goes from the cathedral to the statue in Place Saint-Jacques. In 1940, despite Nazi bans and soldiers nearby, residents gathered in silence, decorated the square with flowers, a Cross of Lorraine, and the French flag, and many prayed through the night. The tradition continues every year on August 15.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:54 (CET).