The "Place Saint-Lambert" by Night

"Place Saint-Lambert" constitutes the historical heart of the city of Liège. Until the beginning of the 19th century, it was occupied by several cathedrals successively destroyed and rebuilt. The latest was burned out in 1789 and cleared out in 1821.
In the 20th century the square became a crossing point for cars; so in the 60ies and 70ies numerous projects developed in order to transform it into big crossroads, sometimes underground, sometimes above the earth surface... During 30 years, the 'Place St-Lambert' works generated controversies and projects changes. The city was deprived of its heart for a long time.
The current geometry of the square reminds St-Lambert Cathedral that still rose up at the end of the 18th century. The high columns show the location of the outer pillars of the former building.

The small plane
There has been a dozen small planes on the former Place St-Lambert. The first one landed on the square in 1927, the year when Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic. Models of more or less realistic painted steel sheets, they were put up by photographers to attract passers-by (above all children) who wanted to keep a souvenir of Liège. The last one disappeared in 1963. Since 1996, Place St-Lambert houses a bigger and more solid small plane. 'Tchantchès et Nanesse', characters of the Liège's folklore have already taken their seat and are waiting for you for an unexpected souvenir... an already well-established tradition in Liège!
The "Palais des Prince-Evêques" Behind the small plane, one can see the Palace of the Prince-Bishops of Liège. Nowadays, it houses the Provincial Palace and the Court of Justice where about 350 lawyers meet every day.

Europe / Belgium

Lat: 50° 38' 43" N
Long: 5° 34' 26" E

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Taken with a Minolta Dimage 7Hi digital camera, 28-200 mm 2.8 lens at 28 mm (equiv. 135) at 0"7 second. Mounted on a Kaidan QuickPan Spherical Arm on Manfrotto QTVR Kit 302 Head and Tripod. Stitched with Realviz Stitcher 4.0.1