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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Journu, located in Bordeaux on Place du Palais, is a private hotel built around 1760-1770 for Claude Journu (1680-1742), a merchant enriched in colonial trade. This Lyon merchant, first installed on Rue de la Rousselle, made a fortune in sugar and indigo, before building this building to affirm his success and house his large family (18 children). His sons, Bernard and Bonaventure, then developed a powerful commercial house, involved in five negries between 1787 and 1792.

The architecture, of Louis XVI style with rock influences, is distinguished by its balcony spun on a trunk, adorned with a wrought iron bodyguard bearing the JC monogram by Claude Journu. The facades, which have been listed as historical monuments since 1964, feature stone corner chains, ground frames and a modillon cornice. The ground floor served as a warehouse for colonial goods, while the entresol housed the offices of the family counter.

The building reflects the golden age of Bordeaux trade in the 18th century, marked by the enrichment of traders thanks to the Atlantic economy, including the slave trade. Its location near the Umbria Palace (seat of parliament) and markets made it a symbol of economic power. Today, only the facades are protected, testifying to this heritage linked to the complex history of Bordeaux.

The Journu family embodies the contradictions of this time: commercial prosperity on the one hand, active participation in the slave trade on the other. Their sugar refinery, located in the Sainte-Croix district, illustrates the integration of the industrial and commercial activities that made the city rich, while relying on colonial exploitation.

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