PARVIS
A square is space open in front of the western gate of a church. The term comes from “Paradis”, because when one was in front of a church, one was closer to the sky.
With the the Middle Ages, the majority of the squares were restricted and crushed by the church. At the 19th century and the 20th century, they often were considerably extended in order to offer a sufficient retreat to the person wishing to admire the frontage of the building.
One calls square of justice one of these places arranged to return justice. It indeed frequently arrived that the chapter or the Abbaye is equipped with capacities of justice: it was then returned outside, in public, and in front of the church.
The square opposite (Holy-Radegonde church, with Poitiers) has a stone bench, where the judges sat down. The abbot, who came from outside (the abbey Holy-Cross was an abbey of women), sat in the center, where the wall is higher.
By extension, one speaks about square for spaces extending to the feet from monumental buildings, even stripped of religious nature. For example: the “square of Defense”.
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