Timeline

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. The plan included public buildings and aligned houses, with arcades for shops. Two of the four large buildings on the sides of the square were built, including the stone town hall (1777), while the others were later replaced by a post office hotel (1900).

The square, conceived as a rectangle with precise geometric proportions, was to symbolize order and regularity. The facades and roofs of the buildings overlooking the square, including that located in 19 Place du 18-Octobre, were protected by an order of 18 August 1953 for their heritage value. These buildings illustrate the classic civil architecture of the eighteenth century, marked by symmetry and functionality, in a context of post-disaster reconstruction.

The 1723 fire marked a turning point in the urban history of Châteaudun, offering the opportunity to rethink the city according to the modernist principles of the time. Hardouin's plan, although partially realized, reflects a desire to rationalize the public space, integrating commercial (archcades) and administrative elements (city hall). The building listed in the inventory takes part in this heritage, reflecting both the urbanistic ambitions of the Enlightenment century and subsequent adaptations, such as the construction of the Post Hotel in the 20th century.

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