History of Bordeaux

The Basilique Saint-Seurin displays a striking blend of styles, with a bell tower and porch that date back to its eleventh-century Romanesque roots, while a Gothic entrance added in the thirteenth century features fourteen carved statues…

The Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux is marked by the Tour Pey-Berland, a massive bell tower that stands entirely detached from the main cathedral building. Construction on the cathedral began in the eleventh century, though most of the…

The Grosse Cloche is a medieval gateway marked by two massive circular stone towers that reach forty meters into the sky. It stands on the ancient Rue Saint-James, once the path taken by pilgrims traveling toward Santiago de Compostela.…

The Pont de Pierre is defined by its seventeen arches, a series of stone and brick spans stretching four hundred eighty-seven meters across the Garonne. Commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in eighteen ten to move troops toward Spain, it was…

The Porte Cailhau stands thirty-five meters tall, featuring distinct pepper-pot turrets, a high slate roof, and mullioned windows that distinguish it from the surrounding architecture. Constructed between fourteen ninety-three and fourteen…

The Grand-Théâtre is marked by a neoclassical portico of twelve colossal Corinthian columns, each topped by a stone statue representing a muse or goddess. Inaugurated in seventeen eighty, this opera house was designed by the architect…

The Monument aux Girondins is a fifty-four-meter column topped by a bronze statue of Liberty breaking its chains. It sits on the Place des Quinconces, one of the largest city squares in Europe. The memorial honors the Girondin deputies, a…

The Base sous-marine is a vast, hulking block of reinforced concrete, measuring two hundred forty-five meters long and over sixteen meters high. It dominates the Bacalan district, appearing more like a geological formation of gray stone…