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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The historic courthouse of Lyon, located at Romain-Rolland quai in the 5th arrondissement, is an emblematic building of French neo-classicism. Built between 1835 and 1847 by architect Louis-Pierre Baltard, it replaces the old palace of Roanne, destroyed after a fire in 1622. Its interior decoration is classified as a historical monument, and its façade, decorated with 24 columns, gives it the nickname of "24 columns". It is now home to the Rhône assize court and the Lyon Court of Appeal.

The reconstruction project began in 1828 with the acquisition of the land and the choice of Baltard, winner of the architectural contest. The works, completed in 1847, include sculptures such as the bas-relief La Ville de Lyon, which is home to the Arts, Industry and Agriculture by Jean-François Legendre-Héral. In 1995, the transfer of the High Court to Part-Dieu made it the "historical courthouse", dedicated to the higher courts.

The building has hosted landmark trials, such as those of Sante Geronimo Caserio (1894, assassin of Sadi Carnot), Charles Maurras (1945, collaboration), Klaus Barbie (1987, crimes against humanity), and the Lyon branch of Direct Action (1989). The room of the not lost, a vast hall of 625 m2, houses works such as La Justice punishing Guillaume Bonnet's Crime and a plaque commemorating Judge François Renaud, murdered in 1975.

Between 2008 and 2012, a major renovation (€49.65 million) modernises the palace: accessibility, enhanced security, and restoration of decors. Reopened in 2013, it combines architectural heritage and judicial functionality. The stones used come from the quarries of Villebois, Tournus, Crussol and Cruas, while the exterior sculptures, such as François Félix Roubaud's La Force and La Justice (1857-1862), are carved from Seyssel's stone.

The palace has been classified as a historic monument since 1996 for its intact interior architecture, mixing neo-antical majesty and republican symbols. Its history reflects the judicial evolutions of Lyon, from the royal senates to contemporary reforms, while remaining a place of memory for major judicial cases of the twentieth century.

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