Founded by a group of manufacturers and financiers, the Société Générale "to encourage the growth of trade and industry in France" moves into its first head office at 66-68 Rue de Provence. Formerly the theater of Madame de Montesson, the building is the work of architect Théodore Brongniart, who also gave Paris its stock exchange (the Palais Brongniart) and the famous cemetery of Père-Lachaise. Even in its founding year, the bank finds time to open its first branch in Bordeaux; the very first link in a nationwide chain that would grow continually to cover all of France. The bank opens its first Paris branch close to the capital's stock exchange in 1865. Five years later, Société Générale would have 15 branches in Paris and 32 around the country. In 1871, the first international branch is opened in London, then the world's leading financial center.