Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located in Place Gambetta (former Dauphine Square) in Bordeaux is part of a major architectural complex of the 18th century, designed as part of the major urban development work carried out under the management of Tourny. Around 1745, the latter ordered the development of a square on land west of the Dauphine and Dijeaux gates, in a desire to clean up and embellish the city. This project was part of a classic ordinance, with buildings with uniform facades, characterized by a ground floor with arcades, a noble floor, an attic and an attic.

In 1750, the Jurats of Bordeaux contracted a loan to finance the construction of the facades, originally planned with forebodies and balustrades. However, in 1762, a new architect proposed a simplified plan, removing these elements to replace them with a sober entanglement and a climax. The square was only completed between 1770 and 1780, although its style remained representative of the first half of the 18th century. The buildings, made of cut stone, feature windows decorated with carved mascarons and wrought iron balconies, reflecting the splendor of Bordeaux architecture of the time.

Gambetta Square, rectangular, became a strategic crossroads where the main roads of the city converged. The facades, protected since 1927 (inscription of facades and roofs under the title of Historic Monuments), illustrate the heritage of the urban transformations of the Enlightenment in Bordeaux. Their uniformity and classic elegance testify to the influence of the stewards of Tourny and Boutin, key players in these developments.

External links