
The Place de la Bourse (, "Stock Exchange Square") is a square in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and one of the city's most recognisable sights. Built from 1730 to 1775 along the river
Garonne, it was a multi-building development designed by the architect
Jacques Gabriel and his son
Ange-Jacques Gabriel. It is within the historic part of the city that has been recognized on the
UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.
History
The Place de la Bourse was designed between 1735 and 1738 by
Jacques Gabriel, and built by his son
Ange-Jacques Gabriel, the principal architect of
King Louis XV. In the original plan, a statue of Louis XV was erected on the square, which was destroyed during the
French Revolution. After the statue's removal, a
Tree of Liberty was planted, and after the
Restoration, a
Corinthian column-fountain was built on the square. Finally, in 1869 the ''Three Graces'' sculpture was installed in the same location.
Design of the surrounding buildings was completed by
Jacques Gabriel in 1739; the project was issued for construction two weeks after the architect's death. His son
Ange-Jacques Gabriel was then put in charge and finished the buildings' construction.
Architecture

This square is one of the most representative works of 18th-century
neoclassical French architecture. 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). The sculptures represent
Minerve protecting the arts and
Mercury favoring the commerce of the city.
In 2007, it was included on the
UNESCO World Heritage List 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
Squares in Bordeaux
Odonyms referring to a building