From the end of the XVIIth century,
the Jurats of Bordeaux decided to improve
upon the Eastern facade of the city
that overlooked the river in order to
give arriving travellers a good impression
of the city. With the city wall, all
that could be seen were the stone boutiques
and wooden buildings.
This project did not become reality
until around 1765 thanks to the tenacious
determination of the Intendants Boucher
and Tourny, but also thanks to genius
of the architect Jacques Gabriel and
his son Jacques-Ange Gabriel.
Sent by Louis XV, Jacques Gabriel, the
King's architect, arrived in Bordeaux
on 19th May 1729. He was delighted by
the beauty and the curb of the river,
the climate, the lifestyle and the commercial
activity; Claude Boucher wrote to the
Minister: "Monsieur Gabriel has
an enormous project...if he can carry
it out, it will certainly be the finest
piece in Europe."
And so the incredible project was started.
The Place Royale was inaugurated in
triumph in 1755 with its two wings bordering
the quays: the general farm and the
Commercial exchange. It is a classical
example of French architecture, with
the ground floor with high arches that
conceal the mezzanine. Then two more
floors, and attic, entablature and slate
tiled roof.
The architecture of the Place Royale
determined the style of the rest of
the quays, and thus, over more than
a kilometre, one can observe the rigorous
respect of the height of the arches,
floors, and slated roofs with the very
slim stone chimney stacks rising above
them all. The present owners of these
buildings have started the cleaning
and renovation of the stone facades
to restore the quays to their former
glory, and the stone back to its original
colour that so beautifully reflects
the morning sunlight.
The architects that designed the houses
along the quays are: Bonfin, Chevay,
Moulinié, Richefort, Alary. The
owners of the land that built these
80 or so fine buildings were often the
Bordeaux wine merchants. The inhabitants
of the houses generally rented them
from the landlords, port workers or
shop holders, their charming portraits
can be seen sculpted in the stone of
the buildings. |
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