Paris1972-Versailles2003

I like to tell you more about a very famous city for something it does not produce; you know… this is a glorious city and one very popular with the French today ,sitting on the banks of a great river of the Gironde. I found me a picture in my cd rom vault that should be in my blog for you and me, For reference,Bordeaux is in the department 33 of the Gironde in the region of Nouvelle Aquitaine of my belle France. Therefore, let me tell you about the Place de la Bourse of Bordeaux !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I,

The Place de la Bourse, originally the Place Royale, was the first public square opened in the history of French urban planning. It was created between 1730 and 1755 under the intendancies of Boucher and Tourny, by the king’s architects Jacques Gabriel and his son Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It is bordered by two symmetrical pavilions: the Palais de la Bourse (Stock Exchange Palace) and the Hôtel des Douanes (Customs House). These two buildings still retain their original function as the Chamber of Commerce and the Customs Administration.

The Place de la Bourse was the first breach in the medieval ramparts and, as the Place Royale, was intended to serve as a magnificent setting for the equestrian statue of King Louis XV of France. Inaugurated in 1743, originally Place Royale under the old monarchy became Place de la Liberté during the French revolution, then Place Impériale under Napoleon I, again Place Royale with the Restoration of the monarchy, and finally, with the fall of Louis-Philippe I in 1848, it took its current name of Place de la Bourse.

In 1828, the city erected a modest fountain, in the form of a pink marble column surmounted by a white capital and a globe. In 1869, the small fountain of 1828 was replaced by the current fontaine des Trois Grâces or the fountain of the Three Graces, depicting Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, daughters of Zeus, designed by Louis Visconti, sculpted by Charles Gumery, and cast by the Thiébaut Frères foundry. A large underground parking garage was built beneath the square at the very beginning of the 21C, after which it was entirely paved again. Then, in 2006, as part of the redevelopment of the Bordeaux quays, a large reflecting pool was built above the underground parking garage, opposite the Place de la Bourse.

In the 20C, it became a vast parking lot, while the last residents of the square left the buildings, which were gradually taken over by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to house the commercial court, foreign consulates, the port authority, and the INPI (National Institute of Industrial Property). The Hôtel des Fermes, which became the headquarters of the Regional Customs Directorate, inaugurated the National Customs Museum in 1984 in the former customs hall on the ground floor.

The pediments of the other buildings and the mascarons represent: the grandeur of princes, Neptune opening up commerce, the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, and Time discovering Truth. The inspirations behind the mascarons are varied: in addition to the traditional Neptune and Bacchus, there are fantastical animals, female figures, carnival faces, angels, and wild beasts. The mascarons in the Place de la Bourse also reflect the history of Bordeaux, for example, with the faces of African women, a reference to the slave trade and colonial commerce that brought wealth to the city in the 18C.

Notable buildings here are at no 1 The Customs House, home to the regional customs administration and the National Customs Museum. No. 10: The central pavilion, with the restaurant Le Gabriel. No. 17: The Stock Exchange Palace, home to the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). In the center of the square: The Fountain of the Three Graces. Opposite the square: The Water Mirror. Located on the quays along the Garonne river, it is the largest reflecting pool in the world, covering an area of ​​3,450 m².

The Bordeaux tourist office on the Place de la Bourse : https://www.bordeaux-tourisme.com/patrimoine-culturel/place-bourse.html

The Gironde dept 33 tourist office on the Place de la Bourse : https://www.gironde-tourisme.com/en/patrimoine-culturel/place-de-la-bourse/

There you go folks ,this is Bordeaux a wonderful historical and architecturally stunning city to visit indeed. Walks its streets they are loaded with gorgeous monuments!  Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Place de la Bourse of Bordeaux !!! as I.

 And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!