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Origin and history

The Mairie de Bordeaux, or hostau de la Majoria, was born in the 13th century, when Bordeaux, under English domination, flourished thanks to the wine trade. This building, probably built to house the mayor and his family, symbolized the emerging municipal power. Although the first written mention dates from the 15th century, its existence is linked to influential bourgeois families such as the Colons or the Calhau, who held the office of mayor. Originally modest, the building was equipped with a square tower, symbol of prestige rather than defense, and located near the Grosse Cloche, in a dynamic merchant district.

At the beginning of the 17th century, under the impetus of Marquis Henri Desprez de Mompezat, elected mayor in 1618, the Mairie underwent important changes to adapt to the comfort standards of the time. The works, carried out between 1618 and 1619, add a new house body with an arcade gallery inspired by ancient architecture, marked by pilasters with doric, ionic and corinthian orders superimposed. This redesign reflects the influence of the Italian Renaissance, while preserving medieval elements such as the stone tower.

The decadence of municipal autonomy in the 17th century marked a turning point for Mayorhood. In 1620 King Louis XIII temporarily abolished the office of mayor, leaving the building without a clear assignment. Rented to individuals and transferred to institutions such as the Cour des Aides, it was finally sold in 1662 to the Jesuits, who built a church there. Only then remain the gallery, the tower and part of the 17th century buildings, now integrated into the presbytery of Saint Paul-Saint-François-Xavier church.

The remains of the Mairerie, partly listed as historical monuments since 1993, include the arcade gallery, the facades of the presbytery and a tower of angle. These elements, restored in 1967, illustrate the transition between medieval and classical architecture. Although the site is no longer accessible to the public, there remains a rare testimony of Bordeaux's political and architectural history, linked to figures such as Michel de Montaigne, who reportedly stayed there between 1581 and 1585.

Mayorship also embodies tensions between local and royal power. In the 15th century, the office of mayor, initially reserved for the Bordeaux bourgeoisie, passed under royal control with the appointment of lieutenants of the king. This change reflects the gradual centralisation of power in France, while the building, once a symbol of communal autonomy, becomes a political issue before losing its original vocation.

Today, the property belongs to the city of Bordeaux, but its current use, entrusted to the Dominican association Stella since 1968, makes it both historical and religious. Its partial inscription in the Historical Monuments protects its most remarkable elements, such as the gallery with ancient superimposed orders, considered as a rare example of Bordeaux classical architecture.

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