Notre Dame church

You now stand in front of the magnificent baroque Notre-Dame de Bordeaux church. Don’t worry, it’s totally normal if you feel like you’ve just landed in Italy. The architect was inspired by the famous Gesù church in Rome, and has created a masterpiece perhaps even more beautiful than the original! If you are fond of sculpted details, you’re in for a treat! Take a closer look at the façade of the Notre-Dame church and admire the finesse of the work! This church is the only vestige of the Dominican convent, which stood here since the 13th century. Louis XIV had it demolished in 1675 to make way for the extension of the Trompette castle. Ten years later, the Dominicans, who were not poor, decided to rebuild a large convent with two cloisters and a beautiful church, the one standing before you. At the time, the Counter-Reformation was still in full swing, and the message was clear. In opposition to the sobriety advocated by the Protestants, it was necessary to dazzle the faithful, to show them the power of Christianity, as well as impress them with the splendour of worship! Baroque in all its glory. In 1793, as part of France’s de-Christianisation policy, the church became the Temple of Reason, dedicated to the cult of the Supreme Being, a kind of civic and philosophical religion launched by Robespierre. You should definitely go and discover what’s hidden behind its walls, because as you can tell from the looks of the façade, you can imagine that the interior decoration isn’t bad either! The building is a listed historic monument, with impeccable conservation; meaning that, today we can admire this Bordeaux Baroque jewel to its full extent. This splendid setting was the one chosen for the funeral of Goya. Fleeing the Spanish Inquisition he lived in exile in Bordeaux until his death. To the right of the church, you can see Goya’s bronze statue, donated to the city by the mayor of Madrid to celebrate the twinning of the two cities. Did you know that there is a mystery surrounding the supposed disappearance of Goya’s skull? Between the day of his burial and the opening of his coffin for the repatriation of his body to Madrid 70 years later, his skull disappeared! A number of hypotheses have been put forward to unravel the mystery, including that the artist bequeathed his skull to science, or that it was donated to a Spanish cabaret opposite the medical school. Next to the church, you can enter the Cour Mably. This is the former cloister of the Dominican convent, built in 1684. Requisitioned by the army in the eighteenth century, it was eventually taken over by Bordeaux’s city council and used for cultural purposes. Originally a library, then home to an antiquities museum, the Cour Mably now hosts a variety of cultural events. Exhibitions, screenings, concerts and more. A wide range of events are scheduled for summer, so feel free to check out what’s on during your stay!