As the oldest planned city square in Paris, Place des Vosges was a natural hit with aristocrats and royalty when it debuted in 1612. The innovative layout was the the prototype of European squares and was a new design at the time. Before Place des Vosges, residences had not been built in a row of matching house fronts with the same design. Place des Vosges set the standard for a residential square. Built to commemorate the engagement of King Louis XIII to Anne of Austria, the square quickly became a hang out spot for royalty and upper class citizens, who found it fashionable as a meeting place for a good chat. Two pavilions, their rooftops higher than the otherwise uniform level, were designated for royalty. While Anne of Austria resided at the Pavilion de la Reine for a short while, no other royalty ever lived in the "Pavilion of the King and of the Queen".