Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

On 21 June 1723 a fire ravaged Châteaudun, destroying more than a thousand houses. This disaster marked a turning point in local urban planning, requiring an ambitious reconstruction. Jules Hardouin, the building controller, was commissioned to redraw the city according to a chessboard, centered on a large rectangular square intended for public buildings and regular houses.

The project included arcades for shops and four large projecting buildings on the sides of the square, two of which were built: the Town Hall (1777) and a stone building. The other two pavilions, on the opposite side, never came into being and were replaced by a post office hotel in 1900. The facades and roofs of this building, located in Place du 18-Octobre, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 1953.

The square, designed in precise geometric proportions, was to symbolize order and modernity after the chaos of the fire. Public buildings, such as the town hall, were erected in stone to mark their importance, while nearby houses adopted a uniform height. This plan reflected the 18th century urban ideals, combining functionality and classical aesthetics.

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