Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

On 21 June 1723 a fire ravaged Châteaudun, destroying more than a thousand houses. Jules Hardouin, building controller, was responsible for the reconstruction of the city centre. He designed a chessboard plan centered on a large rectangular square, surrounded by arcade shops and public buildings. Two of the four planned pavilions were built, including the stone town hall (1777).

The square, conceived as a rectangle with precise geometric proportions, was to accommodate four large, protruding buildings, higher than the nearby houses. Only the town hall and another pavilion were built on the back of the square. The two missing pavilions on the opposite side were replaced in the 20th century by a post office hotel (1900).

The building located in 15 Place du 18-Octobre, with its facades and roofs on the square, was inscribed in the Historic Monuments by order of 18 August 1953. This urban project illustrates a planned reconstruction after a disaster, combining architectural regularity and civic functions. The arcades and the square still structure today the historic heart of Châteaudun.

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