The story of Cyrano is set in the 17th century Paris (except the siege of Arras). However, it's virtually impossible to film it in Paris now since most of the city was rebuilt in the second half of the 19th century. Le Mans was chosen as the main filming location for that bittersweet tale of the big-nosed poet and swordsman.
Le Mans' medieval quarter, the Cité Plantagenêt, is a paradise for filmmakers and period productions, featuring cobblestone streets, half-timbered facades, and well-preserved private mansions—all complemented by an electrical and telephone network that is almost entirely buried underground. Modern-day fixtures can be removed or disguised very quickly. The rest of the movie was filmed in other French historical spots such as Moret-sur-Loing, Dijon, Uzès, Fontainebleau and the Fontenay Abbey in Burgundy. The elaborate period sets were constructed inside soundstages at Mafilm Studios in Budapest, Hungary. The Battle of Arras scenes were staged on the Bükk Plateau, near Szilvásvárad in Heves county, Hungary.
It was an expensive production that required 2,000 actors and extras, 2,000 costumes, half of which were designed specially for the film, and 1,000 pieces of weaponry including swords, muskets, pikes and cannons. The filmmakers also reportedly planted several acres to recreate the vegetation for the siege of Arras and redesigned an entire forest.
The film went on to win 10 French César Awards, the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Gérard Depardieu also won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival and received an Oscar nomination for his performance (but lost due to the manufactured controversy in the American media).
A Performance at the Hôtel de Bourgogne
The story begins in 1640, as the public gathers to see a performance at the Hôtel de Bourgogne. The real Hôtel de Bourgogne was located on what is now Rue Étienne Marcel in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris. The theater was constructed in the late 16th century on a site that previously had been part of the residence of the Dukes of Burgundy (hence the name that literally means 'the Burgundian House'). The most important French theatre until the 1630s, it continued to be used until 1783, after which it was converted to a leather market and eventually demolished.
For the filming, they used the forecourt at the entrance to the Cathédrale Saint-Julien at the Place du Cardinal Grente in Le Mans. The theater interior was a large set constructed at Mafilm Studios in Budapest, Hungary.
Cyrano (Gérard Depardieu) continues the famous "nose monologue" at the entrance of the cathedral. It is one of the largest cathedrals from the Romanesque-Gothic transition period in France. The cathedral has undergone numerous phases of construction and reconstruction since its founding. Work began around 1060 under the episcopate of Vulgrin and was completed around 1430. Further expansions were planned for around 1500, but a lack of funds forced the bishop at the time to abandon these efforts. Having suffered the effects of air pollution over the years, as well as natural aging, Saint-Julien Cathedral is the site of near-constant renovation work. It houses the tombs of Saint Julien (St. Julian), the first bishop of Le Mans, and that of Charles of Anjou. Situated on the hill of the "Vieux-Mans" (Old Le Mans) district, the structure features a tower reaching a height of 64 meters, making it the tallest building in the Le Mans urban area.
The ensuing duel between Cyrano and Viscount Valver (Philippe Volter) was shot at the Place du Cardinal Grente in front of the cathedral. The building behind Valver is the Palais du Grabatoire, the current episcopal residence of the Bishop of Le Mans. It is a former canonical palace built in the first half of the 16th century for Jean de Couthardy.
Later, the guards appear and disperse the crowd - Place du Cardinal Grente.
Cyrano and Le Bret (Philippe Morier-Genoud) walking away from the square - Rue de la Reine Bérengère, Le Mans, France. Queen Berengaria (c. 1165–1170 – 1230) was the wife of Richard the Lionheart. She's buried at the Abbaye Royale de l'Épau in Le Mans.
On the Banks of the Seine
Cyrano confesses to Le Bret that he is deeply in love with Roxane - Pré de Pins, 18 Route de Saint-Mammès, Moret-sur-Loing, Seine-et-Marne, France. It is a picturesque medieval town on the Loing river, roughly an hour southeast of Paris.
Ragueneau's Pastry Shop
Ragueneau offers two kids six pastries instead of three if they return the sonnet used for wrapping - 10 Place Saint-Michel, Le Mans, France. They covered the real buildings with false fronts in that episode.
Cyrano coming to the shop - Place Saint-Michel, Le Mans, France.
Cyrano approaching the shop - Rue des Chanoines, Le Mans, France. The shop is on the corner of Place Saint-Michel and Rue des Chanoines which means Cyrano approaches it twice from two different directions.
Duenna (Josiane Stoleru) eating pastries in front of the shop - Place Saint-Michel, Le Mans, France.
The Guards' Barracks
The guards cheering on Cyrano when returns to the barracks - Portique de Serlio, Cour Ovale (Oval Courtyard), Château de Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France. The barracks interior was a set constructed at Mafilm Studios in Budapest, Hungary.
Count De Guiche (Jacques Weber) arrives - Porte du Baptistère, Cour Ovale (Oval Courtyard), Château de Fontainebleau, Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France. In 1606, Henry IV added a monumental domed gateway on the east side—known as the Baptistery Gate—reusing older rustic masonry from 1565 and topping it with a faceted dome.
Roxane's House
It's located at the Place aux Herbes, Uzès, Gard, France. This town square is its social center, and the name (literally "Herb Square") points to its old role as the town's market, a role it still plays today. This square, likely incorporated into the town during the Middle Ages, was originally called "Place du Coustel"—named after a coustel (or pillory) that stood in front of what is now number 26, where offenders were put on public display. Over the centuries, the square’s name changed several times; it was known successively as Place de la République, Place Royale, and finally, Place aux Herbes. The square is irregular in shape and is renowned for its uniform arcades and the various hôtels particuliers (private mansions) that line it.
Later, Christian is looking at Roxane's house from the corner of the square.
Christian comes to Roxane's door to deliver a letter - Hôtel de la Rochette, 26 Place aux Herbes, Uzès. It's not a 'hotel' but a private house. It was actually made up of three medieval houses that were grouped together and unified by the same facade in the 17th-18th centuries. The building was designated a historical monument in 2015.
Chasing Christian
Roxane and her duenna are going to Clomire's party and notices Christian at the end of the street - Rue de Vaux, Le Mans, France.
Christian (Vincent Perez) notices Roxane and scurries to a nearby passage - Rue Saint-Pavin la Cité, Le Mans, France. These are obviously two different streets and Roxane and Christian wouldn't have been able to see each other.
Christian rushes to warn Cyrano who is working on yet another letter - Pré Margaron, Moret-sur-Loing, Seine-et-Marne, France. It's a park on the banks of the Loing river.
Later, Roxane comes over searching for Christian - Pré Margaron, Moret-sur-Loing, Seine-et-Marne, France.
Roxane Attends a Gathering at Clomire's
It was filmed at the gate and the courtyard of the Hôtel de Vogüé, 8 Rue de la Chouette, Dijon, France. It's a historic 17th-century private mansion and architectural landmark. Built around 1614 for Étienne Bouhier, a wealthy Burgundy Parliament councillor and art enthusiast, it was passed by marriage to the de Vogüé family in 1766. It's now owned by the City of Dijon and currently houses the city's Human Resources Department, though it is also used for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.
Christian comes in looking for Roxane. The round stone bench was a prop.
Roxane and Christian's date ends in disaster.
Christian is upset and begs Cyrano for help - Maison Millière, 10 Rue de la Chouette, Dijon, France. It is a 15th-century Gothic-style half-timbered house that has been classified as a historical monument since 1943. In 1483, the cloth merchant Guillaume Millière and his wife, Guillemette Durand, had built this house in the historic center of Dijon, near the apse of the Church of Notre-Dame de Dijon and not far from the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy. The Hôtel de Vogüé was built next to this house in the 17th century.
The Balcony Scene
This was reportedly a set constructed for the filming.
Cyrano Hinders de Guiche so that Roxane and Christian Can Secretly Get Married
De Guiche is lurking in a cloister - Fontenay Abbey, Marmagne, Montbard, France. See more about this location below.
Then he emerges from a doorway - 12 Rue de Vaux, Le Mans, France.
Hired musicians waiting for him in the street - Rue de Vaux, Le Mans, France.
Cyrano runs on top of a wall and then and leaps down. It's the wall surrounding the Old Town of Le Mans with the Cathédrale Saint-Julien behind it.
Cyrano stalls de Guiche with an absurd, made-up story about falling from the moon - Escalier des Pans-de-Goron, Le Mans, France. The staircase is between the Roman walls and the Place Saint-Michel.
Cyrano and Christian Leaving for the War
Roxane is asking Cyrano to watch over Christian - Place aux Herbes, Uzès, Gard, France.
The guards regiment is marching through the city - Rue de la Reine Bérengère, Le Mans, France.
The Siege of Arras
Zsidó-rét on the Bükk Plateau, (near Szilvásvárad in Heves county, Hungary) provided the backdrop for the movie's battle sequences. The terrain is dominated by a mountain hay meadow (kaszálórét) surrounded by pine and mixed forest borders. Szilvásvárad is about 30 km from Eger, and sometimes Eger is mistakenly listed as the filming location for this episode. The crew did stay at the Hotel Eger & Park during the filming, that much is true.
The Convent
Fifteen years later, Roxane now resides at a convent, still mourning her beloved Christian. in Rostand's play, it's called the Convent of the Ladies of the Cross. The real Cyrano spent here the last year of his life (1654-1655), next to his cousin Madeleine Robineau, a profoundly pious and charitable lady (their romantic relationship is Rostand's invention). The convent was located at 98 Rue de Charonne in the 11th arrondissement in Paris, and the Ladies of the Cross moved there in 1641. The convent included a small but richly decorated church, a cloister, and a large garden. It was closed in 1790 during the French Revolution. The community once again took up residence in the building under the Restoration. Later in the 19th century, they relocated to 138 Rue du Cherche-Midi, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. The old convent at Rue de Charonne was demolished in 1906.
De Guiche comes to visit Roxane - Fontenay Abbey, Marmagne, Montbard, France. The abbey was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, and is the oldest surviving Cistercian abbey in the world. Named a French historic monument in 1862, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981. The filmmakers used the cloisters and the common room, as well as the abbey church in a later episode.
The young nuns are discussing Roxane, de Guiche and Cyrano.
Le Bret is rushing to warn Cyrano - Rue de la Reine Bérengère, Le Mans, France.
Cyrano is coming down the stairs - this was filmed on the main staircase at the west building of the Lycée Montesquieu, 1 Rue Montesquieu, Le Mans, France. This suspended, four-flight wooden staircase features distinctive Louis XIV-style turned balustres. It was built between 1687 and 1694 as part of the residential wing for the Fathers of the Oratory (Oratorians), who ran the historic college at the time.
Cyrano is ambushed - 12-14 Rue de Vaux, Le Mans, France. It happens in front of the Hôtel de Vaux. Built at the end of the 16th century, it is a remarkable example of Renaissance architecture. It was classified as a historical monument in 1937-1945. Over the years, it's has been home to many occupants. One of the most notable was the painter Jules-Alfred Hervé-Mathé (1868–1953). As head of the Le Mans School of Applied Arts for thirty-five years, he trained many generations of local artists and craftspeople. At the same time, Hervé-Mathé dedicated a significant portion of his artistic work to depicting Le Mans and its surrounding area. His paintings capture the unique atmosphere of the region, blending urban landscapes, scenes of daily life, and natural scenery.
Cyrano arrives at the convent for his weekly meeting with Roxane - the former Abbey Church of Notre-Dame at Fontenay, Marmagne, Montbard, France. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved Cistercian churches in the world (though it is not an active church anymore). Built in the Burgundian Romanesque style, featuring a Latin cross plan, a bare and austere facade, pointed barrel vaults in the nave, and a flattened apse. Following the principles of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the church completely rejects ornate decoration, sculptures, and a high bell tower to prevent distractions from prayer.
The film director Jean-Paul Rappeneau passed away on September 1, 2026 at the age of 94. Cyrano de Bergerac was his greatest success (and deservedly so). Let this post be a small tribute to him.
