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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Palace of Justice of La Rochelle came into being in 1604, when Henry IV ordered the construction of a palace of the presidial (or royal palace) at the site of the former royal audience. Inaugurated in 1614, this first building has a brick and stone façade, with seven arcades resting on ionic columns. A central decorative motif, decorated with the arms of France and Navarre, is surmounted by allegorical statues representing Force and Justice. The inscription "From the reign of Henry IVth [...] MDCIV" recalls his sponsor.

In 1781, a reconstruction was decided and entrusted to François Bertheau-Duchesne, engineer of bridges and carriageways. The works, begun in 1783, partially preserve the original structure, including a passage and several 17th-century doors. The new palace, inaugurated on 12 November 1789, saw its royal shield scraped in 1792 and replaced by a republican inscription: "The Temple of Justice under the Rule of Freedom and Equality". The facade, enriched with six Corinthian columns, supports a sculpted coat of rinceaux.

Ranked a historic monument in 1925, the building preserves remains of the Henrican palace, such as the brick entrance corridor with stone links and broken front doors. Prisons, re-established in the 19th century, have since given way to offices. Architecture thus blends royal heritage and revolutionary adaptations, bearing witness to the political upheavals of its time.

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