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Key figures

Origin and history

The prefecture hotel of Jura finds its origins in a priory founded around the middle of the 12th century in Lons-le-Saunier. This convent, partially destroyed by fire in 1637, was entirely rebuilt between 1711 and 1715 under the direction of Dom Vincent Duchesne. After the French Revolution, the buildings were converted to prefecture, with successive modifications to adapt the premises to their new administrative function.

The site preserves traces of its religious past, including a church built in the late 11th century, on a crypt dating from the first half of the same century. Conventual buildings, organized around a cloister, were completed in the 19th century to accommodate prefectural services. Remarkable elements, such as a monumental wrought iron gate or a large stone staircase, testify to architectural changes related to its institutional use.

The ensemble, partially registered with historical monuments in 1999, illustrates the evolution of a medieval place of worship into a symbol of departmental administrative power. The archaeological remains, including a fountain called "of Rome" in the cellars, also recall its multi-series history, marked by fires, reconstructions and successive reallocations.

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