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Origin and history

The bailliage of Ornans, located at 26 rue Pierre-Vernier in the city of Ornans (Doubs, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), is an emblematic building built in 1740 by the entrepreneur Besson according to the plans of architect Jean Querret. It replaces a former court audience erected in 1422 and becomes the seat of one of the oldest bailiffs of Franche-Comté, attested as early as the 15th century (mentioned in letters of 1473 and 1524). The building housed both the halls on the ground floor, a prison and an audience upstairs, reflecting its central role in the local administration.

In 1825, the bailiwick was transformed into a city hall, marking a change of function while maintaining its civic importance. On July 20, 1979, several elements of the building were listed as historical monuments: facades, roofs, arcades on the ground floor, former prisons on the west wing with their chimneys, as well as three marble chimneys upstairs. These protections highlight the heritage value of its structure, characterized by double arcades open on the street.

The history of the bailiff of Ornans is part of that of Franche-Comté, a region marked by a decentralized judicial organisation under the Ancien Régime. The bailiff of Dole, on which Ornans depended, was an administrative and judicial hub, and this building was a major local relay. Today, it embodies both the judicial heritage and the continuity of municipal institutions, while remaining an architectural testimony of the eighteenth century.

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