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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house located Place Gambetta (former Dauphine Square) in Bordeaux is part of a major 18th century urban project. Around 1745, the intendant of Tourny initiated the creation of this square on lands west of the Dauphine and Dijeaux gates, as part of a plan to clean up and embellish the city. This project aimed to structure the urban space with buildings with harmonized facades, reflecting the classical ideal of the time.

In 1750, the Jurats of Bordeaux made a loan to finance the construction of the uniform facades of the houses surrounding the square. These buildings, designed with an arcade ground floor, a noble floor, an attic and an attic, had to follow a strict order. However, in 1762, a new architect proposed a simplified plan, removing the initial forebodies and balustrades to adopt a sober entanglement and a discreet brilliance. The square was only completed between 1770 and 1780, although its style remained representative of the first half of the 18th century.

The buildings of Gambetta Square are distinguished by their stone-cut facades, their arches with bosses, and their windows decorated with mascarons carved on the first floor. Some buildings have a second floor, adding subtle variation to overall uniformity. The facade and roof of the house at 6 Gambetta Square were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of November 15, 1927, recognizing their heritage value.

This rectangular square, framed by important arteries, illustrates the ambitious urbanisation of the Enlightenment in Bordeaux. It symbolizes the will of local authorities to modernize the city while affirming its architectural prestige, in a context where Bordeaux enjoyed growing prosperity through trade, especially with the colonies.

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