Mézières was a place of trade between northern Europe and France since the Middle Ages. In 1606, the Italian prince Charles of Gonzague decided to create a city named Charleville. To give it its Baroque style, he chose Clément Métezeau, an architect trained in Italian arts and close to the Medici court. His brother built the Place des Vosges in Paris in a style appreciated by King Louis XIV. Charleville's construction relied on the number 4, with a large rectangular square in its center from which four major axes departed. The Place Ducale (393 per 295 ft / 126 per 90 m) comprises 24 pavilions on four levels consisting of four bays resting on the same amount of arches.