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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Boyer-Fonfrède Hotel, also known as the Fonfrède Hotel, is an 18th-century mansion located in the heart of the Red Hat in Bordeaux. Built between 1774 and 1778 by architect Victor Louis, it is renowned for its spiral staircase without support, considered a masterpiece of stereotomy. This monument is part of the islet Louis, a property set created to finance the construction of the Grand-Théâtre de Bordeaux.

Louis Island was born in 1773 when Louis XV gave up part of the ice of the Château Trompette to the city. The land is sold to the richest families, including Pierre Boyer-Fonfrède, a Bordeaux merchant who owns plantations and slaves in the settlements. He entrusted Victor Louis, architect of the Grand-Théâtre, with the realization of his mansion, located at a privileged corner of the island, overlooking the Garonne.

The facade of the hotel follows a uniform architectural programme imposed by a decree of the Council of State of 1730, requiring houses with facades aligned along the port. The interior is organized around a vaulted vestibule in a cradle, decorated with rosette boxes, and a monumental staircase that marked the spirits, like that of the German emperor Joseph II during his visit. Since 1963, the facades, vestibule, stairway and three rooms on the first floor have been listed as historical monuments.

Today, the floors of the hotel are divided into private apartments, while the ground floor houses shops and the European house of Bordeaux. The building bears witness to the 18th century Bordeaux architectural fascist, linked to the enrichment of the trading bourgeoisie, notably through colonial trade.

The protected elements include facades and roofs on the street, the vestibule, the staircase, and three rooms on the first floor decorated with Louis XVI woodwork. These protections highlight the heritage value of an emblematic building of urban planning and Bordeaux architecture under Louis XVI.

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