Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place
ChurchHidden Treasure
Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place, located in Bordeaux (Gironde), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 44.8380, -0.5760
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000016
Buried beneath Bordeaux, the remains of Notre-Dame de la Place reveal fifteen centuries of Christian history: from the first early Christian cathedral of Sainte-Marie to the medieval heart of the Girondin city.
History
Beneath the cobblestones of Bordeaux lies one of the city's deepest memories: the ancient church of Notre-Dame de la Place, whose remains bear witness to an exceptional religious continuity that stretches from the early Middle Ages to the Romanesque era. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1997, this archaeological site is much more than just a ruin: it is the tangible trace of the first Christian communities that shaped Bordeaux long before it became the great Atlantic metropolis we know today. What makes this place truly unique is the superimposition of its successive states. Where other monuments proudly display their facades, Notre-Dame de la Place reveals the layers of time: the foundations of the early Christian church of Sainte-Marie, contemporary with the first bishops of Burdigala, and the Romanesque masonry of the 10th-11th centuries that covered and amplified them. Few urban sites in France offer such a clear picture of the long history of the site. The visit is aimed above all at those with a passion for archaeology and medieval history, at those who know how to read the faded chapters of a city in stone. Without the spectacular staging of a restored castle, the site imposes a more intimate, almost meditative contemplation, which rewards imagination as much as erudition. Observing these rubble stone foundations laid over a thousand years ago, in the heart of a living city, is a rare and precious experience. The surrounding area adds an extra dimension to the visit: Bordeaux, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its urban ensemble, offers around this discreet site a setting of blonde stones and classical architecture that contrasts admirably with the harshness of the Palaeochristian remains. The Place and its surroundings invite you to extend your stroll towards other witnesses to Bordeaux's history.
Architecture
The remains of the former church of Notre-Dame de la Place are mainly in the form of foundations and low masonry, revealed by archaeological excavations. There are two main superimposed construction phases: the foundations of the early Christian church of Sainte-Marie, built between the 6th and 8th centuries, and the Romanesque structures of the 10th-11th centuries, which surmounted them and partially reused them. The early Christian church probably followed the elongated plan with semi-circular apse characteristic of the basilicas of the first Christian centuries, direct descendants of Roman civil architecture. The materials used were probably a combination of antique ashlar - a common practice in early medieval Bordeaux, a city rich in Gallo-Roman remains - and local limestone rubble, which is abundant in the Gironde region. The Romanesque phase of the 10th-11th centuries saw a greater mastery of construction, with more regular units and deeper foundations suited to a more ambitious building. Although the elevations have disappeared, a reading of the ground plans suggests a single nave or a nave with three aisles, an east-facing choir and perhaps a west-facing bell tower-porch - a typical configuration for small urban Romanesque churches in south-west Aquitaine.
Related Figures
Saint Martial de Limoges — apôtre de l'Aquitaine, dont l'évangélisation du IIIe siècle prépara la fondation des premiers lieux de culte bordelaisLes évêques de Bordeaux des VIe-VIIIe siècles — commanditaires présumés de l'église Sainte-Marie paléochrétienneGuillaume VIII d'Aquitaine — duc d'Aquitaine au XIe siècle, sous le règne duquel l'architecture romane connut un essor remarquable dans toute la régionAliénor d'Aquitaine — figure tutélaire de la Bordeaux médiévale, héritière d'un duché qui vit s'épanouir la construction romane aux Xe-XIe siècles
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place located?
Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place is located in Bordeaux, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place built?
Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place open to visitors?
Ancienne église Notre-Dame de la Place is currently closed to visitors.