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Origin and history

The house located Place Gambetta (former Dauphine Square) in Bordeaux is part of a major urban complex of the city, designed in the 18th century. After the Place de la Bourse, this rectangular space represents the second major urban development project of the period. The buildings, built between 1745 and 1780, follow a classic ordinance: ground floor with arcades, noble floor with window doors decorated with mascarons, and simplified attic after 1762. The intendant of Tourny initiated the project around 1745 as part of a plan to clean up and embellish Bordeaux, while the Jurats financed the uniform facades by borrowing in 1750.

The square was only completed between 1770 and 1780, although its style reflected that of the first half of the eighteenth century. The stone-cut facades, characterized by bossed arcades and wrought iron balconies, frame two important arteries at the corners of the square. In 1762, an unnamed architect proposed a simplified plan, removing the initial forebody and balustrades to adopt a sober entanglement. The façade and roof of the building at 17 Gambetta Square were protected by a registration order in 1927, reflecting their heritage value.

The ensemble illustrates the influence of the urban policies of the stewards under the Old Regime, where architectural uniformity served both as a beautification and a symbol of order. Gambetta Square, with its residential and commercial buildings, also reflects the economic boom of Bordeaux in the 18th century, linked mainly to the maritime and wine trade. The sculpted mascarons and wrought iron details recall the fascist of this era, while marking a transition to a more refined classicism.

The exact location of the house, 17 Place Gambetta, corresponds to the address referenced in the Merimée base, although GPS coordinates suggest an approximation to the 19 of the same place. This minor gap highlights the challenges of precision in the documentation of historical monuments, especially in such dense urban complexes. The 1927 protection covers only the façade and roof, excluding any rear interior fittings.

Unlike the Place de la Bourse, conceived as a royal and monumental space, the Place Gambetta (then Dauphine) was more responsive to practical imperatives: to unblock the west of the city and to structure the roads. The arcades on the ground floor, typical of Bordeaux architecture, probably housed shops or warehouses, while the upper floors were reserved for housing. This mixed model, still visible today, characterizes the mercantile urbanisation of the Atlantean ports in the eighteenth century.

Finally, the evolution of the original plan in 1762, with the removal of superfluous decorative elements, reveals a tendency towards sobriety in the last decades of the Old Regime. This stylistic choice could reflect budgetary constraints or a change of taste, announcing the beginnings of neoclassicism. Gambetta Square remains a testament to the social, economic and artistic dynamics that shaped Bordeaux before the Revolution.

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