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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located 13bis 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 project after the Place de la Bourse. This neighbourhood symbolizes the urban transformations initiated by intendant Tourny around 1745, aimed at sanitizing and improving the city. In 1750 the Jurats of Bordeaux financed the construction of uniform facades, organized on the ground floor with arcades, a noble floor with wrought iron balconies, and an attic, reflecting the classic ordinance popular at the time.

In 1762, an unnamed architect proposed a simplified plan for the facades, removing the initial forebody and balustrades to the benefit of a devoidly sober and attic. The works were completed between 1770 and 1780, although the style remained marked by the first half of the 18th century. The square, rectangular in shape, became a strategic crossroads with major arteries at each angle. The buildings, made of cut stone, had carved mascarons and windows on the first floor, characteristic of the Bordeaux luxury of the time.

The façade and roof of this house were classified as Historic Monument by decree of 15 November 1927, highlighting their heritage value. The initial Tourny project, although modified, illustrates the desire of the local elites to modernize Bordeaux according to the aesthetic canons of the Enlightenment century, mixing public utility and architectural prestige. Today, the exact address (13bis or 13 Gambetta square) reflects the uncertainties of historical sources on its precise location.

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