Bordeaux Port Named to UNESCO List
World Heritage List Includes Port de la Lune in Southwestern France
Bordeaux may be famous for its wine, but it also has 18th century architecture to boast about. The Port of the Moon area of the French town includes great examples.
During its recent session in Christchurch, New Zealand, the World Heritage Committee included two Western European sites on this year’s UNESCO World Heritage List. Along with the Lavaux Vineyards of Switzerland, the historic center of Bordeaux, France, known as the Port of the Moon, was among the 22 new sites inscribed to the list.
The Port of the Moon is in the heart of Bordeaux, a port city in southwestern France, built up around the River Garonne. The port earned the nickname “Port de la Lune” because of its crescent moon shape. According to UNESCO, the port area is “an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, created in the age of Enlightenment, whose values continued up to the first half of the 20th century, with more protected buildings than any other French city, except Paris.”
Specifically, the area was recognized for its role through the centuries as a place of commerce and an exchange of cultural values with Britain and the Low Lands, particularly since the 12th century. “Its urban form represents the success of philosophers who wanted to make towns into melting pots of humanism, universality and culture,” UNESCO’s Web site reads.
While the town of Bordeaux is famous around the world for its wine, which has been produced since the 8th century, visitors often discover a deeper, historical link to the river. Trading of the famed wine, however, has boosted the port over the years.
The port was extremely active in the 18th century, and most of its buildings were built between the 1500s and the 1800s. The “Quartier St. Pierre,” also known as “Le vieux Bordeaux” (the old Bordeaux), however, is much older. Some of the best examples of 18th century architecture can be found at the Place Royale, which is now Place de la Bourse, the Grand Théâtre and Allées de Tourny.
Along with the 18th century public buildings, a number of historical houses line the Garonne Quays and the area is known to be particularly awe-inspiring at night. Victor Hugo, the famed 19th century French poet and novelist, once said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux.”
In addition to the port and wine, the city also has a bustling arts community with a number of cultural sites and museums, including Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Modern Art, Musee d’Aquitaine and Museum of Decorative Arts.
Visit the World Heritage Web pages for a complete list of the sites including the newly inducted sites.
