Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building of Châteaudun is part of the vast reconstruction project of the city after the fire of 21 June 1723, which destroyed more than a thousand houses. Jules Hardouin, the building controller, was tasked with redesigning the city centre according to a chessboard plan, with a large rectangular square surrounded by public buildings and regular houses. This square, geometrically designed, was to accommodate arcades and four large protruding pavilions, two of which were actually built: the Town Hall (1777) and another stone building.

The reconstruction followed a rigorous urbanistic model, combining functionality and classical aesthetics. The facades and roofs of the building, overlooking the square (now 18 October square), were protected by decree in 1953 for their heritage value. The original project also included two pavilions on the opposite side of the square, finally replaced by a post office hotel in the 20th century (1900), marking the architectural evolution of the site.

The building, private property, illustrates the legacy of the Lights in urban development. Its alignment with the square, with a return to the streets of Chartres and Toutfaire, reflects the desire for symmetry and order characteristic of the eighteenth century. Although some elements of the original plan had not been realized, the whole of the plan retained architectural coherence, reflecting the know-how of the artisans and the urban ambitions of the time.

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