Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

Place Gambetta, formerly Place Dauphine, was created in 1746 by the Marquis de Tourny, intendant of Bordeaux, to embellish the city. The works, entrusted to architect André Portier and Michel Voisin, began in 1758 and ended in 1770. The square adopts a classic style, with ordered facades in stone from Aquitaine, arcades on the ground floor and carved mascarons on the first floor. It becomes an 18th century Bordeaux urban model.

During the French Revolution, the square was renamed Place Nationale (1790) and welcomed the guillotine from October 1793. It is the scene of 302 executions, including those of Girondins like Elie Guadet. After the Terror, it took on successive names (place du Roi de Rome under Napoleon, Place Gambetta in 1883) in tribute to political figures. Its central role in transport and life in Bordeaux was confirmed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In the 21st century, the square underwent a major redevelopment (2018-2021) by planners West 8 and Sabine Haristoy, transforming its central garden and reducing car traffic. The 28 Place Gambetta, like all the buildings of the square, has been classified at the Historic Monuments since 1927 for its facades and roofs. Its architecture reflects the legacy of the Enlightenment and the urban changes of Bordeaux.

The building of the 28 is part of this homogeneous ensemble, with a commercial ground floor, a noble floor with carved windows, and a mansard attic. The materials (stone of Aquitaine, red tiles) and details (frontons, wrought iron balconies) bear witness to the know-how of the 18th century artisans. The square, once a place of execution and transport, is today a pedestrian and green space, symbol of the Bordeaux urban metamorphosis.

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