Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building of Châteaudun is part of an architectural complex born of the reconstruction of the city after the great fire of 21 June 1723, which destroyed more than a thousand houses. Jules Hardouin, building controller, was tasked with developing a new urban plan in chessboard, centered on a large rectangular square lined with public buildings and uniform houses. The facades, aligned in a rigorous geometry, were to include arcades for the shops and four prominent pavilions at the corners, only two of which were realized: the Town Hall (1777) and another building remaining.

The square, conceived as a rectangle whose large side is equivalent to the diagonal of a square built on the small side, symbolized the order and rationality of the Lights. The facades and roofs of this building, located 39 Place du 18-Octobre, were protected by decree of 18 August 1953 for their representativeness of the classic post-fire style. The absence of the two pavilions on the opposite side, later replaced by a post office hotel (1900), illustrates the adaptations suffered by the initial project over the centuries.

This historic monument embodies the desire for urban modernization in the 18th century, combining commercial functionality (archives), municipal prestige (city hall) and architectural harmony. Its inscription in the title of Historical Monuments underlines its role in the built heritage of Châteaudun, marked by reconstruction after a major disaster.

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