Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

In 1981 the municipality of Draguignan acquired the house of the executioner, built in 1846 according to the plans of the departmental architect Esprit Lantoin. This building, financed by the Ministry of Justice on land ceded by the city, once housed the house of the executor and his family, as well as the Shop of the Great Scaffold. Capital executions took place there before their centralization in Paris, then making the office apartment obsolete. The house was sold to private individuals before it was bought for a museum project.

The Society of Scientific and Archaeological Studies of Draguignan and Var transforms the place into a museum in 1981, focusing on local judicial history. The permanent background exhibits iconic objects such as a 1794 guillotine replica, carcans, or bricks stamped by bagards. Panels trace the evolution of justice in the Var, from the Old Regime to the modern era, while temporary exhibitions and documentary resources complement the cultural offer.

Ranked as the Musée de France, the institution showcases a heritage linked to the Tower of the Clock (1661), classified as a historical monument, which once housed the Bois de Justice. Its official address, 21 aisle from Azémar to Draguignan, makes it a unique place of memory, labeled for its contribution to the preservation of regional judicial history. The site also offers ancient books and educational devices to contextualize collections.

The historical interest of the museum lies in its territorial anchor: the house of the executioner, located in the shadow of the Tower of the Clock, symbolizes the links between the judiciary and the dracene city. The exhibits, such as handcuffs or witch chairs, illustrate past criminal practices, while the Society's archives enrich local research. The museum thus participates in the cultural dynamism of Draguignan, valuing a heritage that is often unknown.

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