Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The town hall of Arras was erected from 1501 on the Petite Place, simultaneously at the nearby belfry, to replace a skeining in ruins. Inspired by Saint-Quentin City Hall, its original Gothic flamboyant structure (1517) consisted of seven arched arches, a floor with adorned windows, and a slate-shaped sharp roof. Two major expansions took place: the first in 1517 (addition of a 88-foot perpendicular wing), then in 1572 with a Renaissance pavilion designed by Artesian Mathias Tesson, overlooking the square and Vinocq street.

During the Second Empire, the building was restored and enriched with neo-Renaissance and neo-Gothic elements, inaugurated in 1867 by Napoleon III. Destroyed by the German bombings on 7 October 1914 during the First World War, it was rebuilt in the same way after 1918 under the direction of Pierre Paquet, architect of the Historical Monuments. The latter opted for a faithful restitution from the sixteenth century to the outside, while the interior mela neogothic (voûts), neo-Flemish Renaissance (fest hall), and art deco (ferronries), creating a harmonious ensemble.

Ranked a historic monument in 1921 for its facades, the city hall is backed by a belfry inscribed with UNESCO World Heritage. Its underground, the boves, dug from the ninth century to extract chalk, served as refuges during the two world wars. Today, they visit the tourist office in the building. The present building, although rebuilt, preserves original carved elements, such as the 132 oak panels of the party hall, made by Pierre Seguin in 1924.

Note: The historic city hall should not be confused with the contemporary town hall of Arras, located in Guy Mollet Square. A scene from the film La Liste de mes envies (2014) was shot there, highlighting its iconic belfry.

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