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Origin and history

The house is part of the architectural complex of Gambetta Square (former Dauphine Square), one of Bordeaux's major urban projects in the 18th century. Initiated around 1745 by the Intendant of Tourny as part of a plan of sanitation and beautification, this square was designed to structure the city by linking its main roads. The Jurats of Bordeaux made a loan in 1750 to finance the construction of the uniform facades, composed of a ground floor with arcades, a noble floor, an attic and an attic. The works, originally planned with forebody and balustrades, were simplified in 1762 under Intendant Boutin, opting for a sober entablement and an attic without unnecessary ornaments.

The completion of the square ran from 1770 to 1780, although its architectural style remained representative of the first half of the eighteenth century. The buildings, made of stone, have a rigorous prescription: arches with bosses on the ground floor, window doors decorated with mascarons and wrought iron balconies on the first floor, and sometimes a second floor. The façade and roof of this house, located at 45 Gambetta Square, were protected by a registration order under the Historic Monuments on November 15, 1927. The square, rectangular in shape, serves as a crossroads to major arteries, emphasizing its central role in Bordeaux urban planning.

The project reflects the hygienist and aesthetic ambitions of the Enlightenment, where uniformity of facades symbolized order and modernity. The arcades, typical of Bordeaux architecture, housed commercial activities on the ground floor, while the upper floors were reserved for bourgeois housing. Gambetta Square, with its classical harmony, thus bears witness to the transformation of Bordeaux into an open and rational city, marking a turning point in its urban history.

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