Excursion tour in Bordeaux. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» The city square and the tower located here are named after Pierre Berland. He headed the local church until 1457. With his assistance, a higher education institution and a college for needy entrants were established.
»  The 66-meter Pey Tower is adjacent to St Andrews Cathedral. Its spire is crowned by a gilded statue of Madonna holding the baby. She faces the place where the church figure was born.
»  The tower has an 8-ton full-toned bell. Vibrations from its loud sounds could damage the walls of the cathedral. That is why it is located at some distance from the bell tower.
»  The facade of the tower is decorated with openwork carving that features the Flamboyant architectural style. All the elements resemble bursts of flame.
»  The spiral staircase of 230 steps leads to the observation platform. It has a panoramic view of the surroundings.
»  In 1790, the citizens upheld the construction when revolutionaries wanted to destroy it.
»  At one time, the building belonged to the private entity. It served as a lead smelting plant.
»  In 1862, the object became a historical site of the city.

» There was the Apostle Peter’s Sanctuary at the site of the modern cathedral. It was mentioned in the chronicles of the 6th century.
»  In the 12th century, the chapel was built here. There are preserved medieval gravestones found at the church cemetery. Nowadays, they are transferred to the museum for storage. It turns out that the English nationals were buried here when the region was a part of England.
»  The western wall with Gothic windows has been preserved.
»  The building you can see today was built in the 14th-15th centuries. There are a preserved altar and the sculpture of the 17th century. It represents the Mother of God mourning Jesus (the Virgin Mary with dead Christ on her knees).
»  One of the canvasses (1664) is situated in the niche to the left of the bell tower. The painting depicts St. Peter taking the keys of the gate of heaven.
»  Other interior elements date back to the 19th century.
»  Stained glass windows are very interesting. On the glass, you can see scenes from Apostle Peter’s life. He patronizes the cathedral.
»  The city cathedral has been the historic monument of the French cultural heritage.

» On the square, there is a complex that consists of several buildings and was constructed in the 18th century. The drafts of the square were drawn by the ruler.
»  The complex was opened in 1755. Two houses are located in a semi-circle around the embankment.
»  The left wing belongs to the stock exchange. There is the representative office of the regional trade association.
»  In the other part of the complex, there is the Customs Museum.
»  The outer walls of palaces facing the square are decorated with sculptural heads of the human and the beast. The facade is also decorated with statues of antique heroes.
»  The complex bore the other name. It gained the present name, Place de la Bourse, in 1848.
»  The central fountains are really impressive. The “water table” is 130 m long and 40 m wide. It is paved with dark panels of natural material. There are tiny holes in gray tiles. Water is supplied through them at regular intervals. First, the atmosphere is filled with fine drops dissipating from the blow and the effect of the water veil is created. Then, jets appear from the holes. Gray tiles resemble the mirror surface reflecting the surrounding buildings.

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Facts: » The City Hall has been housed in the Rohan Palace since 1835. The palace was built in 1784.
»  The architectural construction corresponds to the state institution in it. Side lines and the facade are quite strict. The monumentality is highlighted by huge columns. The entrances are arched doorways.
»  The construction has two outbuildings. One of them has housed the museum since the 19th century. Here, you can see pieces of fine art.
»  There are wooden panels in many rooms of the Palais Rohan. You can see carved flowers and leaves on them.
»  The dining room looks bigger due to the specific painting.
»  The City Hall is located near the parking area with the landscape structure created in the middle of the 19th century. This style is called English.
»  The Bordeaux City Hall was constructed by the wish of the archbishop. He belonged to the noble family and was the spiritual father of Bonaparte’s wife. The three-storey construction required significant funds. To finish the construction, the clergyman had to sell his own lands.
»  Some saloons and fragments of the stairs have survived to this day in their original form.

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Facts: » In the basilica, services visited by worshipers living outside the city. Industrialists donated to its construction.
»  It started to be built in the 14th century. The construction lasted over 2 centuries. The bell tower is 114 m high.
»  When it was reconstructed in 1791, 70 graves were found in the basement of the basilica. The bodies were well preserved in the clay soil. Mummies were deposited in the crypt of the cathedral. In 1990, the remains were buried at the city cemetery.
»  Its exterior is decorated with multiple prolonged stone arches. You can see openwork patterns on them. Above the entrance, there is a decorative element in the form of the outlet with floral ornaments.
»  The inner space is divided into 17 sectors. Each one is dedicated to particular craftsmen. Here, you can see old items and canvasses telling about past epochs. In one of the rooms, you can see the wooden altar of the 17th century. In the anglers’ sector, there is the statue of St. Catherin, the patroness of sailors.
»  The central room is 75 m long, 38 m wide, and 23 m high. The hallway leads to the open gallery with an organ in it.
»  22 bells proclaim the beginning of the service.