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Origin and history

The Court of Appeal of Riom, located in the former palace of the Dukes of Auvergne, is a major judicial monument whose history dates back to the 4th quarter of the 14th century. The palace was originally home to the main royal courts of Auvergne, including the generality of Riom (created in 1542), the senes floor of Auvergne (1551) and the presidial (1552). After the Revolution, the building was transformed into a district court (1790), then into a superior court in 1800 thanks to Bonaparte's support. The Court of Appeal was officially established by the Sénatus-consulte of 18 May 1804, successively taking the names of Cour Imperiale (1811) and Cour Royale (1814).

Between 1820 and 1841, the architect Guillaume-Thérèse-Antoine Degeorge carried out ambitious reconstruction and expansion work, including the demolition of the Bonan tower (1826), remains of the castle of Alphonse de Poitiers, and the creation of a square inner courtyard. The original project, criticized for its lack of harmony, was reworked to inspire the Farnese Palace in Rome, leading to a neoclassical facade and an honour staircase. The works, marked by budgetary constraints and successive modifications, were completed after 17 years, with external adjustments (1843-1850) and the partial restoration of the Sainte-Chapelle, which was disused from the judicial cult.

The courthouse of Riom was the scene of historical events, as the visit of Napoleon III on 5 July 1862, commemorated by a painting by Charles-Philippe-Auguste de Larivière. During World War II, he hosted the trial of Riom (19 February–15 April 1942), an unfinished political trial. The architect Agis Léon Ledru later brought climate changes, such as the closing of the arcades by glazing. Today, the Court of Appeal of Riom covers the departments of Allier, Cantal, Haute-Loire and Puy-de-Dôme, continuing its central judicial role in Auvergne.

The building preserves traces of its medieval past, like the Sainte-Chapelle, divided into two levels in 1820 to install archives and a judicial chamber. The 19th century transformations, although controversial (including the destruction of the Bonan Tower), shaped its present appearance, mixing Gothic heritage and classicism. The palace thus illustrates the evolution of the French judicial institutions, from the Dukes of Auvergne to the modern Justice, while remaining an architectural and historical symbol of the region.

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