Bordeaux is the port city in south-western France which gives its name to the Bordeaux region. The Quai des Chartrons is where the town’s wine merchants traditionally based their operations from the 18th-century onwards. The Place de la Comédie is Bordeaux’s main square (the biggest in Europe) with its Grand Théatre, designed by Victor Louis (1731-1800), and finished in 1780. Other key areas include the Esplanade des Quinconces, Les Allées de Tourny, and Le Vieux Bordeaux (the ‘old quarter’).