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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building of Châteaudun is part of the vast reconstruction project of the city after the great fire of 21 June 1723, which destroyed more than 1,000 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. This square, designed in precise geometric proportions, was originally to accommodate four large protruding pavilions, two of which were later replaced by the Town Hall (1777) and the Post Hall (1900).

The facades and roofs of this building, located on the Place du 18-October, have been part of the elements protected since 1953 for their architectural representativeness of the 18th century. The initial project included arcades for shops and a visual hierarchy between buildings, with higher buildings at the end of the square. Only one of the two pavilions on the north side was built, illustrating the successive adaptations of the original plan.

The location of the building, in 5bis Place du 18-Octobre, corresponds to one of the areas rebuilt after the disaster, marking the transition between the destroyed medieval urban planning and the planned classical city. The materials used, such as stone for the nearby city hall, reflect the standards of the time. Today, this set reflects both the urbanistic ambition of the Enlightenment and the practical constraints that have changed its execution.

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