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Student district

Ever since the construction of the faculty of medicine on the east side in the late 19th century, the Place de la Victoire has been at the heart of Bordeaux’s student life. Remodelled in 2005, the vast granite paved square now gives right of way to pedestrians, café terraces and buzzing bars...

Tram B, Victoire

Saint Julien Square

The original square, baptised as Place Saint Julien, was created in 1302 and took its name from Saint Julien’s hospital nearby where lepers and plague victims were cared for. The Place Saint Julien was a marketplace for flowers, cattle and wares from the Landes and used to lead on to the road to southern France and Spain.

It came to be known as Place d’Aquitaine after the erection of the new south gate in the 18th century, the Porte d’Aquitaine, dedicated to the Duke of Aquitaine who had just been born. It became Place de la Victoire on 3rd December 1918 shortly after WW1.

Situated at the southern extremity of the principal shopping street, rue Sainte Catherine, the Place de la Victoire nowadays gives access to the southern districts of Bordeaux and the railway station, with the main flower, food and vegetable market - the Marché des Capucins - just a short walk away along Cours de la Marne. Since 2004 the tram B stops on the square and will take you as far north of the city as the Place des Quinconces or south as far as the university campus in Pessac.

The Arch of Aquitaine

During the embellishment and urban development of Bordeaux in the 18th century the king’s administrator Tourny commissioned the architect André Portier to replace the medieval city gates by monumental triumphal arches more in phase with the city’s new prosperity. Erected between 1754 and 1756, the Porte d’Aquitaine (which replaced the old Porte Saint Julien destroyed in 1744) is surmounted by a triangular fronton with the arms of the city facing the rue Sainte Catherine and two sea divinities representing the river and agriculture sculpted by Claude Francin (1701-1773) on the south facing side.

Tourny’s original designs for the square conceived 1748 were never fully carried out. His ambition was to create two squares on either side of the Porte d’Aquitiane, one small one just within the city gate and another larger one outside it.


The larger square on the south side of the Porte d’Aquitaine was then to be enclosed by relatively low houses with arches on the ground floor, a first story with simple but elegant façades and balconies (replaced by wrought iron window railings) and mansard roofs with attic windows. You will notice that many of these houses are still present around the square especially on the east half of the square. 

The gate used to be flanked by two narrower gates for pedestrians which closed access to the city and which were destroyed with the advent of the first tramway.

University of Bordeaux 2

It was in 1878 that the Faculty of Medicine moved into the imposing building on the east side of the square with its six powerful ionic columns and two statues, Scientia and Natura that denote the vocation of the place. The enigmatic stature of a nude and veiled woman represents nature being uncovered before science.

Directly in front of the university the Café August is but one of the many popular cafés and bars like le Plana, le Bodegon, le Café des Sports that have become part and parcel of student life for generations.

The Obelisk and the Tortoise

With the implementation of the new tramline opened in 2004, city traffic has been diverted south of the square leaving a large expanse for terraces and pedestrians. Inaugurated on 17th June 2005, the 16 metre high pink marble obelisk occupies the spot where in the old days a modest wrought iron clock tower used to mark the centre of the square. The twisted four-sided column with its two false bronze doors bespangled with references to wine and the vine is the creation of the Czech sculptor, Ivan Theimer.

The giant lettuce-eating tortoise and her baby add a playful touch to the décor and make a good landmark for meeting people. Notice too the different wine appellations engraved on the shell.