The Bataclan, the Petit Cambodge, the Comptoir Voltaire, the Stade de France... so many names engraved in the collective memory, witnesses to the horror of November 13, 2015. That evening, Paris was struck by a seriesof coordinatedterrorist attacks, leaving 130 dead and nearly 500 wounded. Ten years later, the capital is paying tribute to the victims with the creation of the Jardin du Souvenir(Garden of Remembrance), inaugurated on November 13, 2025, on Place Saint-Gervais, a stone's throw fromthe Hôtel de Ville, in the presenceof Emmanuel Macron and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
Open to the public since June 20, 2025, this memorial garden is intended to be a space for contemplation and transmission, a peaceful place in the heart of the city to honor the memory of the victims and collective resilience. Designed as a "garden of remembrance," it reflects the emotion and solidarity of a people in the face of the unspeakable. The space closed its doors a few days ago for the ceremony and will reopen on November 17 after the structures have been dismantled.
The Jardin du Souvenir was designed by the Wagon Landscaping agency, in collaboration with the victims' associations 13Onze15 Fraternité et Vérité and Life for Paris. Located behindthe Hôtel de Ville, it was conceived as a neutral place, spared by the attacks, in order to avoid any imbalance and to bring together the collective memory in a shared space. Completed after nine months of work, this garden harmoniously blends minerals and plants to symbolize both the solidity of memory and the rebirth of life.
The landscaping recalls the six locations targeted on November 13, 2015: the Stade de France, Le Carillon and Le Petit Cambodge, La Bonne Bière and La Casa Nostra, La Belle Équipe, Le Comptoir Voltaire, and Le Bataclan. Six granite blocks emerge from the ground to evoke these sites, while four peripheral steles, engraved with the names of the victims, delimit the space. On the ground, the streets where the attacks took place are reproduced, fragmented, to remind us of the city in turmoil before it became a peaceful place conducive to contemplation. Breton granite, a variation on Parisian cobblestones, was chosen for its symbolic significance, as landscape architect Mathieu Gontierexplained to our colleagues at Le Figaro: "On November 13, it was also the ground of Paris that was attacked," he said.
The Jardin du Souvenir does not merely evoke the tragedy: it illustrates the continuity of life. The beds of white and purple flowers, notably asters, bloom for much of the year, accompanied by carefully selected trees and shrubs. Nest boxes and ponds have been incorporated to welcome birds, which the designers describe as "the souls of the departed." At nightfall, small points of light come on, forming a constellation inspired by the sky on November 13, 2015, a discreet reminder of the thousands of candles placed in the streets after the attacks. This place of remembrance, at once sober, poetic, and alive, bears witness to Paris's desire to transform pain into hope and tragedy into rebirth.
The official inauguration of the Jardin du Souvenir on November 13, 2025, brought together several hundred people, including victims' families, survivors, government officials, and representatives of various organizations. Presided over by Emmanuel Macron, the ceremony was conducted with reverence and dignity. The President of the Republic recalled: "Not a single life will be forgotten, not a single drop of your tears will be lost. You held on. France held on. The Republic held on."
In his speech, he emphasized that the terrorists "were targeting France, its freedom, its way of being in the world, tinged with rootedness and universalism." Emmanuel Macron also paid tribute to all the professions that mobilized that night: police officers, first responders, caregivers, waiters, elected officials, volunteers... all symbols of French solidarity. Anne Hidalgo recalledthe memory of November 13, 2015, "a beautiful day when suddenly the sky closed in." The mayor of Paris praised "the sacred union between a city and a country," recalling that "the wounded Republic remained standing, wounded Paris resisted and, as always, rose again."
During the ceremony, the 132 names of the victims were read aloud by representatives of civil society: police officers, firefighters, doctors, volunteers, magistrates... symbolizing the diversity and solidarity of the nation. At nightfall, flickering lights illuminated the garden, recalling the thousands of candles placed at the sites of the 2015 attacks.
Designed as a living space, the Jardin du Souvenir is intended to be both a place of contemplation and sharing. You can walk around, sit down, reflect, or simply enjoy the peace and quiet. As Arthur Dénouveaux explains: "We wanted it to be a living garden, not a place of sadness. When I see children playing there and people gathering to reflect, I tell myself that the terrorists have not won."
This garden, located on Place Saint-Gervais, behind City Hall, illustrates Paris' desire to transform pain into shared memory. Through its stones, flowers, and soothing silence, it bears witness to the capital's ability to rise again and pass on its history. Ten years after the attacks, the Jardin du Souvenir embodies more than ever the motto of Paris: Fluctuat nec mergitur – "Tossed by the waves but never sunk."
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Dates and Opening Time
From August 14, 2025 to December 31, 2028
Location
Place Saint-Gervais
Place Saint-Gervais
75004 Paris 4
Prices
Free
Official website
www.paris.fr
