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Origin and history

The courthouse of Vesoul is an administrative building built between 1765 and 1771 on the plans of architect Charles-François Longin, from Besançon. The first stone was laid by Charles André de Lacoré, intendant of Franche-Comté. The building replaces the former market hall of the Grand-Rue, and its remote location allowed the creation of a square deemed essential for the city. Hotel Pétremand, adjacent, and the obelisk fountain complete this coherent architectural complex, typical of the eighteenth century.

The palace has undergone later changes, particularly in the slope of the roofs, which no longer corresponds to the original plans. It was the scene of one of the last public executions of Franche-Comté on 6 April 1914, in front of its side façade (Leblond Street). Since 7 December 1976, it has been listed as a historical monument for its facades, roofs, wrought iron staircase and wooded courtroom, and it embodies the judicial heritage of the region.

Between 2015 and 2020, the palace underwent a major renovation, resulting in the temporary relocation of the court place of the 11th hunter. It reopened in February 2020 to host the new judicial tribunal in Vesoul, consolidating its central role in the judicial organisation of Haute-Saône. The building also symbolizes the history of the bailiff of Amont, an institution present from 1333 until the Revolution, of which Vesoul was the capital.

The interior architecture is distinguished by a monumental staircase with wrought iron ramp and an audience hall decorated with woodwork. These elements, protected since 1976, reflect the prestige of judicial institutions under the former regime. The palace is part of a harmonious urban complex, marked by the rationality of the Enlightenment and the affirmation of the local judiciary.

In the 21st century, the courthouse remains an active place, hosting courts reorganized by the reforms of 2008 and 2019. These changes concentrated judicial jurisdiction in Vesoul, removing the courts of Gray and Lure. The building was also associated with media cases, such as the investigation into the murder of Alexia Daval in 2017, marking its anchor in contemporary judicial news.

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