Bordeaux, France: Parliament Square

Bordeaux had its own Parliament from the 1400s through 1790. And if you have an important legislative body, you need an important looking building to go with it. 

Everything was working fine until 1790. Then came the Revolution, and there went Parliament. Eventually, Bordeaux got around to rebuilding the region in the 1800s, and it's worked out fine. You can linger for a while, rest after some shopping nearby, or have something to eat or drink. 

The square picked up a limestone coating in 1980, but other aspects go back about 200 years. A fountain stands guard over the plaza.