The Saint-Pierre square is the historic city center of Caen and an important traffic junction. On the right is the Saint-Pierre church, on the left is the "Hôtel d’Escoville", a Renaissance house that belonged to a wealthy merchant.
In 1944, the district was completely destroyed by Allied bombings. The Saint-Pierre church survived, albeit with severe damage. Only parts of the courtyard of the Hôtel d’Escoville remained, while the facade was completely razed to the ground. The district was rebuilt in the 1950s and 1960s. The facade of the Renaissance house was rebuilt in the same style, but moved by one meter. Today it houses the tourist office. The row of houses to the north was not rebuilt, so the square is now open towards the castle. A large area is now taken up by the street and tram lines. The district has therefore lost much of its former charm.