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Origin and history

The house located 10 Gambetta square in Bordeaux is part of the architectural complex of the old Dauphine square (now Gambetta square), designed in the 18th century as the second major urban pole after the Place de la Bourse. This project is part of a policy of sanitation and beautification led by Intendant Tourny around 1745, aimed at structuring the city by creating ordered squares on former lands west of the Dauphine and Dijeaux gates. The facades, originally planned with forebody and balustrades, were simplified in 1762 under intendant Boutin, adopting a sober style: ground floor with arcades, noble floor with window doors adorned with mascarons, and fills with entably.

The construction of the buildings, financed by a loan contracted by the Jurats of Bordeaux in 1750, followed a classic order imposing strict uniformity: stone-cut, bosses with pedestals, and wrought iron balconies. Although the square was only completed between 1770 and 1780, its style reflected that of the first half of the eighteenth century, with architectural influences peculiar to the French royal squares. Some buildings have a second floor, but the majority are limited to a noble floor on arcades, illustrating the balance between functionality (trade on the ground floor) and prestige (bourgeois housing on the first floor).

The façade and roof of this house were protected by a decree of inscription to the Historical Monuments on November 15, 1927, recognizing their heritage value in the Bordeaux urban landscape. Gambetta Square, a crossroads of major roads, symbolizes the urbanisation of the Enlightenment in Bordeaux, where classical aesthetics served both the beautification of the city and the affirmation of municipal power. Today, the exact address (10 Place Gambetta) and its Insee code (33063) binds it administratively to the Gironde, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

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