Eighteenth-century Bordeaux was booming. Never before had the Port of the Moon been so busy with sailing ships crossing the oceans transporting valuable colonial goods like sugar, cocoa, coffee, cotton, and indigo. Almost five thousand buildings date to this period, and the Grand Théâtre is among the most impressive. Between 1715 and 1790, Bordeaux was the second wealthiest city in France (behind Paris), and the population doubled. A fire destroyed the old theatre in 1755, enabling the local governor to invite his favourite architect, Victor Louis (1731–1800), to build a splendid new theatre. He even convinced the king to donate the land near the fortress of La Trompette. Construction began in 1773 and lasted six years due to financing difficulties and political disputes among the authorities.