Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The courthouse of Aix-en-Provence was commissioned in 1787 by the architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux as part of a renovation project for the district. Built on the site of the old Comtal Palace, the works began quickly but were interrupted in 1790 by the French Revolution. A decree of 24 October 1790 finally stopped the construction, originally planned to host the Parliament of Provence.

The resumption of the work took place only in 1822, under the direction of Michel-Robert Penchaud, an architect also responsible for the prison in Aix. The palace was finally completed in 1831, and the court settled there on 13 November 1832. Since 1979, its facades (excluding modern elevation) and the Visitors' Hall have been protected as historical monuments.

The palace now houses the Court of Appeal for civil and commercial matters, as well as the sessions of the Court of Assizes. Among its remarkable elements, a triptych of Henri Rondel, La Cour du Roi René (1906), decorates the hall of deliberations. This painting, symbolizing the annexation of Provence to France, has been the subject of a claim since 1920 by the city of Avignon, which wishes to exhibit it at the Palais des Papes.

The architects and artists associated with the monument include, besides Ledoux and Penchaud, sculptor Joseph Marius Ramus. The building illustrates the architectural and political transitions between the Ancien Régime and the 19th century, while playing a central role in the contemporary judicial system.

External links