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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The House of Justice of the Bizot is a 16th century building, built in 1527 as evidence of an inscription engraved on a window. Originally, this building probably served as a dwelling before becoming, after 1639, the seat of the seigneurial justice of Reaumont. This transition was necessary following the destruction of the Château de Réaumont, forcing the lords to move their administrative center to the village of Bizot. The house then housed the hearings and housed the Chaplain judge, the first representative of the local judicial authority.

The oldest part of the building, dated from the 16th century, is distinguished by its rectangular plan and facades decorated with moulure décor. Some cross-windows, as well as a bas-relief representing a court staff and the portrait of a judge, testify to his judicial function. These architectural elements, typical of the Renaissance, underline the prestige associated with this place of power. In 2001, this historic section was included in the inventory of historic monuments, recognizing its heritage value.

Until the French Revolution, the house remained the place for the exercise of seigneurial justice. Pierre Lambert du Bélieu, the first well-known châtelain judge, served there before being replaced by his son Étienne, who held the office from 1647 to 1658. Their presence illustrates the institutional continuity of this local court, linked to the seigneury of Réaumont. Today, the building, located on the 3rd Street of the Church, preserves the traces of this judicial and architectural past.

The building consists of two distinct parts: a west wing, square and old, dating from 1527, and a posterior extension. The oldest berries, decorated with mouldings, contrast with later additions. The inscription on the north facade, though discreet, remains a key testimony of the origin of the monument. Its state of conservation and past use make it a rare example of rural judicial architecture of the Renaissance in Franche-Comté.

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