Place de la Bourse is a square in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and one of the city's most recognisable sights. Built from 1730 to 1775 along the river

Garonne The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – ...

, it was a multi-building development designed by architect

Ange-Jacques Gabriel Ange-Jacques Gabriel (23 October 1698 – 4 January 1782) was the principal architect of King Louis XV of France. His major works included the Place de la Concorde, the École Militaire, and the Petit Trianon and opera theater at the Palace of V ...

. It is within the historic part of the city that has been recognized on the

UNESCO World Heritage List A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.

History

In the original plan, a statue of King

Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

was erected in the square. This statue was destroyed during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

. After the destruction of the statue, a Corinthian column-fountain was built on the square. Finally, in 1869 the sculpture ''Three Graces'' was installed in the same location. Design of the surrounding buildings was finished by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1739; the project was issued for construction two weeks after the architect's death. After his death, his son was put in charge and finished the construction of the buildings.

Architecture

This square is one of the most representative works of classical French architectural art of the eighteenth century. In the north stood the Palais de la Bourse (current Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bordeaux) and in the south the Hotel des Fermes (now Interregional Directorate of Customs and Indirect Rights, which houses the National Museum of Customs). It was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel between 1735 and 1738. The sculptures represent Minerve protecting the arts and Mercury favoring the commerce of the city. In 2007 it was included on the

as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.

References

{{Coord, 44.8415, N, 0.5700, W, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:FR, display=title Buildings and structures in Bordeaux Tourist attractions in Bordeaux Squares in France Odonyms referring to a building