Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Gradis is a private hotel built in 1750 in Bordeaux, at the 138 course Victor-Hugo, for Abraham Gradis, wealthy shipowner and merchant from Bordeaux. This building illustrates the rock architecture of the mid-18th century, with a facade decorated with ionic pilasters, mascarons and a carved pediment. Its interior, initially decorated with woodwork in Prussia's green and blue varnish, was modified from the late 19th century. Today, its ground floor houses the Café des Arts, a place of conviviality since the 1960s.

The main facade, on three levels, has nine spans and a rock decoration marked by shells, staples and grotesque faces surrounding the cochère door. Inside, a stone staircase with a wrought iron ramp leads to the old reception rooms. The Gradis hotel, classified as a historic monument in 1964, specifically protects this facade, roofs and stairs.

Abraham Gradis, the hotel's sponsor, belonged to an influential Israeli shipowner family in Bordeaux. The monument reflects the fascist of the 18th century Bordeaux traders, linked to the maritime trade. The monumental door, with its ties and its iron imposte, as well as the mascarons evoking cotton bales or barrels, recall this harbour activity. The triangular pediment, decorated with love and foliage, crowns the ensemble.

Between 1960 and 1980 Michèle Ducasse, daughter of the owners, transformed a part of the ground floor into a meeting place for Catholic students and activists, the Café des Arts. This coffee, always frequented, perpetuates a tradition of conviviality in this historical setting. Protected elements also include woodwork and interior decorations, although partially modified in the 19th century.

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