Not so long ago, Bordeaux Confidentiel introduced you to the remains of Château du Hâ. Today we continue in the same vein and tell you about Château Trompette, built for the record after the Hundred Years' War, under Charles VII, at the same time as Château du Hâ, which allowed the king to impose his power and show his strength (yes, back then he didn't have a Rolex…).
A military structure hated by the Bordelais
This structure was the symbol of royal power (and its cruelty). After the Battle of Castillon (1453), the King of France Charles VII took his revenge on the Bordelais, who then supported the King of England, through a harsh crackdown: seigneuries were seized, the Gascon language was banned, jurisdictions were abolished, nobles were subdued or exiled, the bourgeois ruined… In short, the king was not happy and he made sure everyone knew!
In his fits of anger, he ordered the construction of 2 castles to anchor his power: Château du Hâ and Château Trompette… 12 years of works to build these 2 buildings for the glory of his majesty's power… 12 years during which the king wanted to mark the Bordelais and force respect and obedience upon them.
Château Trompette would then become a « Bordeaux Bastille », a symbol of power.
From Château Trompette to Place des Quinconces
The Castet Trompeyte (original name of Château Trompette), a Gascon name from the meadow-of-the-herds (prats aux troupeytes) on which it was built, was destroyed in 1818 and today makes way for Place des Quinconces.
All historians and architects agree that the late Château Trompette was a magnificent classical architectural work… If you are interested, a scale model awaits you HERE.
