Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building of Châteaudun is part of a major urban reconstruction project following the devastating fire of 21 June 1723, which ravaged over a thousand homes. Jules Hardouin, the building controller, was commissioned to redraw the city according to a chessboard plan, centered on a large rectangular square. The plan included public buildings and aligned houses, with arcades for shops. The square, designed in precise geometric proportions, was to accommodate four large projecting buildings, two of which were actually built: the Town Hall (1777) and a stone building.

The reconstruction followed rational urban planning principles, typical of the eighteenth century, combining functionality and classical aesthetics. The facades and roofs of the building, overlooking the Place and Gambetta Street, were protected by a registration order in 1953, highlighting their heritage value. Two of the pavilions on the square never came into being, later replaced by a post office hotel built in 1900. This project illustrates the ambition to modernize Châteaudun after the disaster, while integrating sustainable architectural elements.

The exact address of the building, 16 Place du 18-October, corresponds to the central location of this urban plan. The accuracy of its location is estimated as "a priori satisfactory", reflecting its importance in the historical fabric of the city. Legal protections specifically target facades and roofs, marking their role in Châteaudun's architectural identity, linked to the post-fire reconstruction and the influence of Jules Hardouin.

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