Place du Palais
A gracious, pedestrian square named after the vanished Palais de l'Ombriere, the medieval seat of the Dukes of Aquitaine where Eleanor of Aquitaine once held court. Today it is a lively, cafe-lined gateway into Bordeaux's old quarter beside the Porte Cailhau.
Su questo luogo
The Place du Palais takes its name from the Palais de l'Ombriere, a great residence that stood here for more than six centuries as the seat of the Dukes of Aquitaine and of the kings of England who long ruled Bordeaux. Eleanor of Aquitaine, future queen of both France and England, spent part of her life within its walls, and from 1462 the building served as the home of the Parliament of Bordeaux, the region's supreme court. Ravaged by fires in 1597 and 1704, the palace was finally demolished in 1800 to open a new street across its footprint. For much of the twentieth century the square was a bus station and then a car park, until its pedestrian transformation in 2009 turned it into the relaxed, terrace-filled space enjoyed today, watched over by the fairytale turrets of the Porte Cailhau.
Fatti principali
- 1800 year — The Palais de l'Ombriere was demolished, opening a new street across its site
- 2009 year — The square was pedestrianised after decades as a bus station and car park
- 2 fires — Major blazes in 1597 and 1704 ravaged the palace before its demolition
📍 Place du Palais 6, 33000, Bordeaux