La Fontaine Mansion

Introduction

The La Fontaine Mansion is one of the distinguished buildings of Bornova's Levantine era.

Today serving as the Ege University Atatürk Principles and History of Revolution Research Centre, the mansion stands opposite St. Mary Magdalene Church and beside the Murat Mansion.

History and Family Connection

The first known owner of the mansion is James La Fontaine (1881–1930), who played a major role in the institutionalisation of Turkish football.

La Fontaine was a member of the Whittall family, one of Bornova's most long-established Levantine families; he was the son of Blanche Magdalene Whittall, granddaughter of Charlton Whittall, who purchased the Great House in 1836.

Following James La Fontaine's death, the mansion passed to his wife Clara Lillian La Fontaine (Keyzer) and their children Rhoda, Rodney and Audrey.

In 1941 the property was purchased from the family by Clara La Fontaine's niece, Ruby Gladys Whittall (De Zandonati).

Republican Period and University Use

In 1963, to meet the rapidly growing campus needs of Ege University, the mansion was purchased from Ruby Gladys Whittall and passed into university ownership.

Since that date the building has served as the Ege University Atatürk Principles and History of Revolution Research Centre.

Architectural Features

The La Fontaine Mansion is an elegant example of English-influenced Bornova Levantine architecture:

• Storeys: Two storeys plus basement.
• Materials: Stone ground floor, brick walling, timber ceilings and joinery.
• Façade: Symmetrical arrangement, balcony and pediment on the central axis.
• Plan: Central-hall type, high-ceilinged salon with rooms arranged around it.
  
  The mansion's garden is laid out in the restrained English landscape manner and shares a similar environmental aesthetic with other Whittall residences of the period.

Social and Cultural Context

The mansion is an important building representing the transition from Bornova's Levantine era to Republican-era public educational institutions.

Its owner James La Fontaine is recognised as the founder of the league system in Turkish football; the mansion therefore possesses a special value not only in architectural but also in sporting and cultural-historical terms.

Today academic events, document exhibitions and student work are conducted in this space.

Cultural Significance

The La Fontaine Mansion is a tangible example of Levantine family culture and post-Republican educational transformation. Representing both historical memory and academic continuity in Bornova, this building serves as a cultural bridge linking past and present.