Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bourse du travail de Saint-Étienne, also known as Palais des auditions et des cours publiques, is a building built in the early 20th century in the Centre-ville district. - People - Chavanelle. It is France's third largest labour exchange, after Paris and Nîmes. Its architecture, designed by Léon Lamaizière, combines monumental and symbolic elements, such as medallions representing trade union symbols ( phrygian voucher, united hands) and inscriptions evoking the values of freedom, equality and solidarity.

In 1881, the idea of a public lecture and lecture hall was mentioned, but it was in 1901 that the present Labour Exchange was erected. The facades, the peristyle, the Sacco and Vanzetti hall and the festive hall were listed as historical monuments in 2002. The room of the pas perdus, renamed Sacco-et-Vanzetti in 1927, houses a fresco by Auguste Berthon, masked since 1974 by a wall decorated in 2022 and 2025 by Ella & Pitr.

The building, built of Villebois and Estaillades stone, presents a regular and symmetrical plan. It houses rooms dedicated to vocational training, placement of workers and trade union activities. The Labour Exchange was a central place for workers' movements, hosting speakers such as Léon Blum and Maurice Thorez. Its location, along the course Victor-Hugo, marks the former rehabilitation of the Gauds district, on the covered bed of Furan.

The works, led by Léon Lamaizière and assisted by Coste, began in 1902 and ended in 1905. The interior decoration is entrusted to Auguste Berthon and Victor Zan, who produce works such as La Grève and Le Grisou. The Bourse du travail quickly became a gathering place for trade unions, professional courses and labour demonstrations, reflecting its key role in Saint-Étienne's social and political life.

In 1906, the City acquired sculptures by Victor Zan and commissioned Berthon to set up a stage for the party hall. Over the decades, the building received various activities, such as weaving courses, photo-typography courses, and even cinema screenings that had spoken since 1937. Today, the Labour Exchange remains a symbol of the industrial and trade union heritage of the region.

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