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Origin and history

The town hall of Semur-en-Brionnais is a former court audience built in 1788, under the reign of Louis XVI, to replace an old building diagnosed in 1779 by the architect Guillemot. The plans, validated by intendant Dupleix de Bacquencourt, were executed by mason Pierre Lorton between 1781 and 1788. Partly financed by the king, the building has judicial symbols (balance, sword) and a royal shield above its door, recalling its monarchical origin.

The site is home to a long judicial tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, when Semur-en-Brionnais was a seat of royal and ducal bailiage. As early as the 13th century, the city housed a barony linked to seigneurial justice, as evidenced by the conflict of 1273 between the Lord Jean de Chateauvillain and the Count of Forez. The royal bailis, established by Philippe Auguste, coexisted with the Burgundy ducal institutions, creating recurring tensions until the ordinance of 1481, synthesizing royal and ducal rights.

In the 18th century Semur retained an administrative role despite its relative decline. The last Baron, Jacques Nicolas du Puy, had the audience erected in 1788 on his moneys, with the king's agreement. The building, equipped with an arcade courtroom and additional halls (one with a Louis XVI fireplace), became a town hall in 1793. It will also house justice of peace until its merger with Marcigny in 1925, after more than a century of post-revolutionary judicial service.

The architecture reflects its dual vocation: the sober facade, decorated with judicial symbols, masks a functional interior adapted to audiences. The four-paned roof and symmetrically arranged windows betray the classic 18th century influence. Restored in 1902, the building remains a symbol of local power, located opposite the collegiate Saint-Hilaire and near the Château Saint-Hugues, in the heart of the historic city.

The French Revolution transformed its use: the audience became a court of peace in 1790, judging contraventions and petty disputes until 1925. The archives of 1837 reveal sustained activity (214 cases initiated, 64 attempts at conciliation). This monument, classified in 1984, embodies the transition between the Old Regime and modern institutions, while preserving the judicial memory of southern Burgundy.

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