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Heritage classified

Key figures

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 launched the creation of this square on lands west of Dauphine and Dijeaux Gates, as part of a vast plan of sanitation and beautification of the city. This project aimed to structure the urban space with a classic ordinance, in harmony with the other Bordeaux achievements of the time, such as the Place de la Bourse.

In 1750, the Jurats of Bordeaux made a loan to finance the construction of the uniform facades of the buildings surrounding the square. These houses, designed with an arcade ground floor, a noble floor, an attic and an attic, had to follow a coherent architectural model. 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 regular arches with bosses, and their first floor windows, decorated with carved mascarons and wrought iron balconies. Some buildings have a second floor, adding a slight variation to the initial uniformity. The square, rectangular in shape, is crossed by important arteries at four angles, reinforcing its central role in Bordeaux traffic. In 1927, the façade and roof of one of these buildings, located at 16 Gambetta Square, were classified by ministerial decree.

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