Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Palace of the Parliament of the Dauphiné, located in Place Saint-André in Grenoble, is an emblematic building, the oldest part of which dates from the end of the 15th century. Originally designed to house the Dauphiné Parliament, created in 1453 by Louis XI from the Delphinal Council, it symbolized the prestige of Grenoble as a provincial capital. Its construction began around 1500 under Louis XII, with a cream stone facade typical of the flamboyant Gothic, including a chapel and woodwork carved by Paul Jude from 1521. The palace was adjacent to a prison where inmates could seek alms from passers-by.

In the 16th century, the palace was enlarged twice: in 1539 under François I, then in 1562 under Charles IX, with an extension in blue grey limestone of Fontanil, directed by architect Pierre Bucher. The interior decorations, enriched with woodwork and ceilings under Louis XIV, reflected its judicial and political importance. The blue salon, famous for its tapestries, was the venue for the Day of the Tiles (7 June 1788), a precursor event of the Dauphin Revolution, where the crowd forced the magistrates to reopen the Parliament despite its royal closure.

In the 19th century, a major extension tripped its surface: architects Daumas and Riondel added in 1897 a neo-renaissance ochre limestone building, inaugurated by President Felix Faure. The palace remained a court until 2002, before being classified as a Historic Monument in 1889. Today, owned by the Isère department, it is being renovated (2024, 21M€) to house the Museum of Resistance and Deportation, while preserving its courtrooms and historical decorations.

Among the notable cases, the trial of Francesco Nobilibus (1604–1606) illustrates his judicial role: this Franciscan monk, accused of witchcraft for allegedly bewitching Lieutenant-General François de Bonne, was hanged and burned after 230 interrogations. The palace, sometimes confused with the neighbouring Delphinal Palace, thus embodies five centuries of judicial and political history, from the Dauphins of France to the Revolution.

Architecturally, its two-coloured facade combines cream and grey stones, decorated with coats of arms and animal sculptures. The interiors house jewels such as the carved cabinets of the sixteenth century or the ceilings of Louis XIV. After its judicial transfer to the Europol district (2002), the site is visited during Heritage Days and hosts exhibitions, while preparing its heritage and tourism conversion.

Its historical importance is also due to its recurrent opposition to the monarchy: the Grenoble Parliament, composed of local magistrates, defended Dauphinian freedoms against royal taxation, contributing to pre-revolutionary tensions. With 600,000 litigants under its jurisdiction in 1790, it was dissolved at the Revolution, becoming a simple courthouse until its present metamorphosis.

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