Parliament Square

This square, with its symmetrical harmonious architecture reminiscent of classical Italian squares, is located in the heart of the Saint Pierre district. Created in 1760 under the name of Royal Market Square, it was christened Liberty Square during the Revolution, then Parliament Square for the former parliament of Bordeaux which was destroyed at the end of the 18th century. Like ¾ of the city’s buildings, it is now a listed historic monument. Surrounded by luxurious façades, the square reminds us, in case we’ve forgotten, that the city once had a glorious past! The Parliament fountain in the centre dates back to 1865 and was designed by Bordeaux architect Louis-Michel Garros. The fountain is decorated with many badges, a very common type of decoration  in Bordeaux. These are usually fantastic creatures, carnival faces, angels and so on. There are over 3,000 of them in Bordeaux,that you can have fun searching for . Their design reflects the history of the city, with many Masonic, Jewish and Christian symbols, as well as African faces in reference to the slave trade. Between 1672 and 1837, nearly 150,000 black slaves were deported to America during expeditions from Bordeaux. This triangular trade greatly enriched the city in the 18th century. More than 500 shipments left the Moon Port in Bordeaux, heading for Africa to trade goods for slaves, before heading for the West Indies to barter these men, women and children for colonial raw materials such as sugar, cotton, coffee and cocoa.  It was the trade in these highly prized commodities that made the city so rich and powerful. Should you have further interest for this sad chapter in history and seek to understand all its social and economical repercussions, I recommend you the Aquitaine Museum, which dedicates several permanent exhibition rooms to slavery and the triangular trade.