Place des Études: A Scholarly Square in Avignon

Place des Études, located in Avignon, France, is a town square with a significant connection to the city's academic history. The square's name, meaning 'Place of Studies,' reflects its past as a center for learning.In 1303, Pope Boniface VIII established a university (Studium) in Avignon that included faculties of Canon Law, Civil Law, and Medicine. A faculty of Theology was later added in 1413. The Faculty of Law was based in buildings connected to the Collège Saint Michel, on Plateas Studi Novi. The square maintains the memory of this time.Today, Place des Études is a pedestrian-friendly square where visitors can take a break. In 2019, the square became a pedestrian zone. The Théâtre de l'Étincelle, created in 1985, is located on the square in the former premises of the "Allumettes de l'État". A monumental Virgin statue, the only remnant of the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Eutrope, founded in 1670, can also be seen. The sisters, dedicated to educating young girls, initially settled in the former Collège de Dijon. They were later moved to Rue des Fourbisseurs in the 19th century.