To suppress cracks or production of a region not filled with a liquid crystal in a smectic liquid crystal and to prevent propagation of the region not filled with a liquid crystal by subjecting the orienting film of each electrode substrate to specified orientation treatment.

Each orienting film 14, 24 is divided into square orienting regions 14a-14d, 24a-24d having the orienting directions opposite to each other, and orientation treatment for the orienting films 14, 24 is carried out in such a manner that the orientation directions in the regions facing each other are parallel, the orientation directions in adjacent regions is perpendicular to each other and each orienting region has side lines parallel and perpendicular to its orientation direction. Therefore, when a smectic liquid crystal causes contraction in the volume due to decrease in temp. and cracks or an area not filled with the liquid crystal is produced in the liquid crystal layer in any liquid crystal regions, the cracks or the area not filled with the liquid crystal can be prevented from propagating on the boundary region with the adjacent liquid crystal region. As a result, the length of dark lines in the display region can be suppressed to the min.