Pey Berland

History of Pey Berland and Saint Christoly neighborhoods in the City Center of Bordeaux

Former residence of the parliamentarians of Bordeaux in the 15th century, the Place Saint-Christoly and its surroundings constitute one of the oldest historic districts of Bordeaux, in the heart of the ancient castrum. Steps away, Pey Berland Square is home to St. Andrew's Cathedral, its separate bell tower called Pey Berland Tower, and the Rohan Palace, which today serves as the Town Hall. Former archdiocesan hotel until the French Revolution, the building will be in turn seat of the revolutionary tribunal, prefecture hotel, imperial palace and royal castle. The Saint-André cathedral is also a major witness of the history of France and that of Bordeaux in particular: it hosted in particular the royal wedding of Louis VII and Aliénor of Aquitaine in 1137, and that of Anne of Austria and Louis XIII in 1615.

The essentials of Pey Berland and Saint Christoly

The city center of Bordeaux, around the ancient district of Saint-Christoly and the famous Pey Berland square, is home to an exceptional concentration of emblematic monuments of Bordeaux. The Rohan Palace is the seat of the town hall since 1835, after having been the royal residence of Louis XVIII and the imperial palace of Napoleon 1st. Its neoclassical style architecture is very rich. Its interiors contain lounges of Louis XVI style, a dining room whose decors in trompe-l'oeil would have confirmed Delacroix in his artistic vocation, a staircase of sublime honor and English gardens embellished with remarkable sculptures. Its south gallery hosts the Museum of Fine Arts. The Gothic masterpiece of St. Andrew's Cathedral faces the Rohan Palace, on the site of a primitive 3rd century church. It has remarkable architectural elements such as its nave Gothic Angevin style, towers 81 meters high, side walls and carved tympanums. A few meters away stands the Pey Berland bell tower, Gothic tower 66 meters high. Nerve center of Bordeaux, it is quite natural that the district also shelters the museum 19 d'Aquitaine and emblematic addresses of the city: the center Jean-Moulin, the theater Femina, the museum of the decorative arts or the school of the judiciary.

Living in the City Center of Bordeaux

Dynamic district and center of the cultural life of Bordeaux, the place Pey Berland, the place Saint-Christoly and their surroundings offer a great quality of life to their inhabitants with their multitude of shops and their pedestrian zones where to stroll. The 18th century architecture of the district offers goods of great elegance. The district concentrates the seats of the highest instances: municipality, rectorate, tribunal de grande instance and administrative tribunal. The law school is also located in the hyper-center, as is the National School of Magistracy. Many private schools enrich the offer of the public. The gardens of the town hall offer a framework of walk and relaxation very appreciated by the residents. Line A of the tramway serves the area and links it to the Garonne river. The buildings of modern architecture cohabit with the old buildings in a beautiful harmony.