Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Parliament of Dijon, originally called the Parliament of Burgundy, was founded in 1354 by Duke Philip II of Burgundy in Beaune. From the Curia Ducis, the council of the Dukes of Burgundy, he was housed in the Hôtel des Ducs in Beaune. After the duchy joined the royal estate in 1477, King Louis XI transferred it to Dijon in 1480, in reaction against Beaune, hostile to his authority. A second court was maintained in Salins for the County, while that of the Duchy settled permanently in Dijon in premises shared with the Chamber of Accounts.

In 1499, an epidemic of plague prompted parliamentarians to take refuge in Beaune. They returned to Dijon only in 1507, provided that a new building was built. Parliament is enriched with specialized chambers: Tournelle (criminal affairs, 1524), Chamber of Motions (1575), and Chamber of Inquiry (1589). In the 16th century he refused to register the 1562 edict granting freedom of worship to Calvinists. The Ligue (1588-1595) divided the institution, with a dissenting Parliament in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, before its unification under Henry IV.

The seventeenth century saw persistent tensions, as during the Fronde, where Louis XIV had to intervene in 1658 through a bed of justice. In the 18th century, the Maupeou reform renewed its members, who defended provincial privileges. Popular for its measures in favour of debtors, Parliament was restored in 1774 after the advent of Louis XVI. The Revolution left him on leave in 1789, leaving room for a superior court, and then for the present court of appeal.

The building, built from 1518, combines Renaissance and neo-Gothic styles. The Golden Room (1522), the Tournelle (1549), and the Renaissance façade (1580) with its door carved by Hugues Sambin are the jewels. The Saint Louis Hall, the Chamber of Requests (ceiling painted by Gabriel Revel in 1688), and the Grand Chamber (historical heart) illustrate its architectural evolution. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, the palace preserves elements such as a carved wooden door, stained glass windows, and symbols of justice (balance, sword).

The functions of Parliament were broad: provincial government shared with the governor, fortification management, finance, currencies, and the lifting of troops in wartime. He recorded orders and monitored territorial boundaries. His power extended to contentious matters, but also to police and roads. After 1789, the palace successively became a court of appeal, imperial court, and then a royal court, before permanently sheltering the Court of Appeal of Dijon.

External links