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, the building controller, was tasked with re-designing the city centre according to a geometric plan in chess, centered on a large rectangular square. This square, designed to accommodate public buildings and uniform houses, was to symbolize order and modernity after the disaster. The arcade facades and the pavilions on the sides illustrated a desire for architectural harmony.

The square, surrounded by arcade shops, was originally to have four large protruding buildings, only two of which were built: the stone town hall (1777) and another building on the back of the square. The two pavilions on the opposite side were finally replaced by a post office hotel built in 1900. The building concerned, whose facades and roofs on the square have been protected since 1953, bears witness to this ambitious reconstruction combining classicism and urban functionality.

Hardouin's plan was based on precise geometric principles: the large side of the rectangular square was equal to the diagonal of a square built on its small side. This rigour reflected the urbanistic ideals of the eighteenth century, combining aesthetics and rationality. Although some elements of the original project had not been realized, such as the missing pavilions, the ensemble retains a remarkable architectural consistency, classified as Historic Monuments.

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