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Origin and history

The house located Place Gambetta (former Dauphine Square) in Bordeaux is part of a major architectural complex of the eighteenth century, designed after the Place de la Bourse. This project is part of a policy of rehabilitating and embellishing the city led by the intendant of Tourny around 1745. The square, formed on lands west of the Dauphine and Dijeaux gates, was designed to centralize the main roads of the city. In 1750 the Jurats of Bordeaux contracted a loan to finance the construction of uniform facades, organized on the ground floor with arcades, a noble floor, an attic and an attic.

In 1762, a new architect proposed to Intendant Boutin a simplified plan for the facades, abandoning the initial forebody and balustrades for the benefit of a devoidly sober and attic. The square was only completed between 1770 and 1780, although its style reflected that of the first half of the eighteenth century. The buildings, made of cut stone, have regular arcades on the ground floor, window doors decorated with mascarons on the first floor, and some have a second floor. The facade and roof of this house were protected by an order of inscription under the Historical Monuments on November 15, 1927.

Gambetta Square, rectangular, symbolizes Bordeaux's classic urban planning, with two major arteries opening at its angles. Its ordinance reflects the influence of Parisian models, adapted to local needs. The wrought iron balconies and carved mascarons illustrate the artisanal know-how of the period, while the uniformity of the facades demonstrates a desire for modernization and architectural harmony, characteristic of the Lights in Aquitaine.

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