Stéphane Place, edited by Loane Nader 11:55 am, April 03, 2023

In Bordeaux, a city where mobilizations against the pension reform have been marked by violence and excesses, it is time to assess the damage. The door of the town hall was completely set on fire, to the great dismay of the inhabitants, who confide to be disappointed by the degradation of their heritage, at the microphone of Europe 1.

In these times of calm between two mobilizations against the pension reform, the city of Bordeaux notes the damage that occurred during the protests. 15 days ago, the university and the town hall were attacked by demonstrators. If the cost of the damage of the first establishment amounts to nearly one million euros, it remains to be determined for the charred door of the town hall. "Frankly, it's sad," chants this Bordelaise, who like many, does not hide her disappointment with the degradation of the heritage of her city.

"It's not so much the price, it's the fact that you erase a work of art," said the passer-by, while another considered the situation "a real disaster". Now similar to a giant toast that would have been forgotten in a toaster, this huge blackened door is the most beautiful carved face overlooking the Place Pey-Berland and the most affected about two centimeters deep, but fortunately, the hinges and seals held up against the flames.

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Can the monument be saved?

Florie Alard, Curator of Historical Monuments at the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs, describes the damaged door: "The fire rose very quickly to high temperatures. We are actually looking at what has been affected, it is the wood of the carpentry. It was also the stone that framed it all around." The expert highlights several possibilities for the future of the monument.

"Can we, for example, consolidate this door as it is? Do we have to redo it in its entirety? Or maybe give free rein to another project?" she asks. The insurance of the town hall will cover the damage, she says. But it is still too early to give an amount, which is still being evaluated. Without too much suspense, the cost will necessarily be high in relation to the damage, recognizes the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.