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Origin and history

The house located Place Gambetta (former Dauphine Square) in Bordeaux is part of an 18th century major urban complex, designed after the Place de la Bourse. This rectangular space, surrounded by buildings with uniform facades, was designed around 1745 by the intendant of Tourny as part of his project to clean up and embellish the city. The chosen land was west of the Dauphine and Dijeaux gates, then on the outskirts of the city.

In 1750, the Jurats of Bordeaux made a loan to finance the construction of the houses, whose facades had to follow a strict order: a ground floor with arcades, a noble floor, an attic and an attic. The original project, more decorated with avant-corps and balustrades, was simplified in 1762 by an unnamed architect. The new plan removed these elements to adopt a sober entanglement and a discreet peak, while retaining the classic style of the first half of the century. The square was only completed between 1770 and 1780.

The buildings, made of stone, have a remarkable regularity. Their ground floor has bossed arcades surrounding the doors, while the first floor opens onto windows topped by carved mascarons and equipped with wrought iron balconies. Some buildings include a second floor. The facade and roof of the house at 14bis Gambetta Square were protected by a registration order in 1927, highlighting their heritage value.

Gambetta Square, the crossroads of the main Bordeaux routes, illustrates the rational urbanisation of the Enlightenment century. Its straight line and its angles marked by important arteries reflect a will of order and symmetry, characteristic of the projects carried out under the impulse of the royal stewards. Today, it remains a key testimony of Bordeaux's architectural heritage.

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