The square is first mentioned in 1755 and is named after a theatre that burned down in 1785 and 1855. The Place became the focal point of the city when, in the mid-19th century the railway station Gare de Montpellier Saint-Roch was built some 200 metres (660 ft) south of it. At that time, a smaller train going to the nearby beach at Palavas-les-Flots also had its provenance on the Place.

Discover the history of Montpellier's famous courthouse with your local guide.

Eglise Saint-Roch or sanctuaire Saint-Roch is a church in the heart of Montpellier, France, built in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style. It is recognized as a diocesan sanctuary by the Montpellier diocese of the Catholic Church. It is dedicated to Saint Roch, a native of the town and a healer of plague victims and pilgrims.

The building was the brainchild of surgeon François de Lapeyronie. He bequeathed part of his fortune to build an anatomy amphitheater similar to the one at the Collège Saint-Côme in Paris.

The square is located in the Écusson sub-district, the city's historic center, part of the Centre-Ville district. It is 100 meters long and 35 meters wide, covering 2,895 m2. It has five access streets, three on its south-western side, one on its north-eastern side, which gives access to two staircases leading up to the square, and one which reaches the middle of the square, running alongside the Hôtel Richer de Belleval.

The cathedral was originally the church of the monastery of Saint-Benoît, which was founded in 1364. The building was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1536, when the see of Maguelonne was transferred to Montpellier. After the building suffered extensive damage during the Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century, it was rebuilt in the 17th.

You'll pass the historic Hôtel de la Préfecture building. One of the first buildings constructed in Montpellier