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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Bordeaux, originally called Saint-Dominique, was built between 1684 and 1707 in a baroque style inspired by the Gesù church in Rome. Its construction was motivated by the destruction of the previous Dominican convent in 1678, ordered by Louis XIV to enlarge the fortress of the Château Trompette. Architects Pierre Duplessy-Michel (replaced at his death in 1693 by Father Jean Fontaine) and Mathieu Labat directed the works, while the facade was carved by Pierre Berquin and his sons. The unusual eastward orientation of the church is explained by the proximity of the Recollet convent.

During the Revolution, the building became a Temple of Reason (1793), then dedicated to the cult of the supreme being under Robespierre. Ranked a historic monument in 1908, the church suffered a partial collapse of its vaults between 1971 and 1981, requiring a complete restoration in 1982. This renovation revealed the original blonde stone and highlighted its exceptional acoustics, making the church today a popular venue for concerts. Its organ, built by Godefroy Schmidt in 1785 (58 games, 4,238 pipes), is a jewel classified since 1971.

Inside, the 60-metre nave, adorned with cradle vaults and stained glass windows, houses major works: six paintings by Brother André (1712–35), frescoes by the abside (1834) representing the life of the Virgin, and a master altar in white and coloured marble (1751) signed John Baptist II Peru. The wrought iron grilles of the choir, made by Jean Moreau in 1781, illustrate the Bordeaux craft of the eighteenth century. The chapel of the Rosary exhibits a statue of the Virgin with the Child and Dominican scenes, such as the Battle of Lepante.

The Baroque facade, typical of the Jesuit style, features a dynamic composition with columns, pilasters and a decorated frieze. Four statues of the doctors of the Church (Ambroise, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory the Great), added in 1865 by Edmond Prévot, complete the niches initially empty. The medallions represent four Dominican popes, highlighting the spiritual heritage of the place. The Mably court, the last vestige of the original cloister (1684), once housed the Girondins during the Revolution and today serves as a cultural place.

The history of the church reflects the political and religious upheavals of Bordeaux: from its Dominican foundation to its revolutionary transformation, to its modern restoration. Its architecture, combining classical rigour and baroque exuberance, makes it a symbol of Bordeaux heritage, while its successive functions (cult, reason, concerts) testify to its anchoring in local life. The organ buffet, Brother André's paintings and Berquin's sculptures make it an open-air museum.

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