Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Halles, Mairie and Palais de Justice de Vézelise are a major architectural complex dating back to the 13th century. The first halls, probably built around 1272, were enlarged in the 15th century before becoming obsolete. In 1599, Duke Charles III of Lorraine ordered their complete reconstruction, entrusting the work to Nicolas La Hière. The building, made of wood and stone, was erected on the site of the old halls, after the expropriation of five nearby houses. The materials, like the oak beams of 10 meters, came from the forests of the Count of Vaudémont, while the stones were extracted from the quarries of Houdreville.

The audience, located on the upper floor of the halls, served as a place of justice until the abolition of the justices of peace. The ensemble was modified twice: in 1735, with the addition of the pavilion of the city hall by Claude Thomas Gentillâtre, then in 1764, when Deklier-Delille rebuilt the audience. Damaged by a bombardment in June 1940, the monument was restored to its original state. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1942, it symbolizes the judicial and commercial history of Vézelise, the former capital of Vaudémont County.

Vézelise, nicknamed the "Pot de chambre de la Lorraine" in the 19th century because of its malodorant tanneries, was a strong place as early as the 13th century, with walls now gone. The city, marked by conflicts between Vaudémont County and the Duchy of Lorraine, became a judicial and administrative hub. The halls, a medieval economic heart, housed on the ground floor shops and public weight, while the upper floor welcomed the audience. Their two-tier architecture, typical of Lorrain buildings, illustrates the importance of trade and ducal power in the region.

The Palace of Justice, formerly the house of the bailiff, was erected in 1561 under Charles III. Its registration LEX IMPERIO MAJOR ("The law is stronger than the power") recalls its central judicial role. This Renaissance-style building, now an annex to the town hall, completes the classified complex with the halls and city hall. These monuments testify to the urban evolution of Vézelise, from its medieval golden age to its industrial decline after the arrest of its famous brewery in 1971.

The city hall clock, which emerged from the Capuchin convent, and the architectural changes of the 18th and 20th centuries underline the resilience of this heritage. The halls, almost intact since 1601 despite the wars and the bombings, remain a rare example of Lorrain wooden civil architecture. Their preservation reflects the local attachment to this symbol of the historical autonomy of Vézelise, once the administrative and judicial capital of the Saintois.

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