Palais de Justice de la Cité: History of France and Paris

Palais de Justice de la Cité: History of France and Paris

The Palais de Justice de la Cité is located right in the heart of Paris. That is to say, on the Île de la Cité, close to the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and the Tour de l’Horloge.

The Palais covers more than 4 hectares on the ground floor and spans nearly 200,000 m² across its floors. Inside, it features about 24 kilometres of corridors, 7,000 doors and over 3,150 windows.

Note: you will find at the end of the text
1/ A photo gallery
2/ What to see nearby
3/ Your Bonus: 5 essential tips to help you plan and make the most of your stay in Paris

The history of the Palais de Justice de la Cité is often intertwined with that of the city of Paris

It is also inseparable from the history of the French monarchy, since the Palais de la Cité was for a long time the residence of the French sovereigns. As a divinely appointed monarch, the king concentrated in his person the legislative power, the executive power… but also judicial authority.

The history of the Palais up until the 10th century is almost completely unknown to us. This is easily explained if one considers that the Merovingian and Carolingian kings, along with their courts, did not have a fixed residence. They moved from castle to castle. They may at times have resided on the Île de la Cité.

The Palais de Justice and the fires

Over the centuries, the Palais de la Cité has endured countless fires and reconstructions:

  • In 1601, the Salle des Gens d’Armes was damaged and the collection of wooden statues of the kings of France was destroyed.

  • In 1618, the Grand’Salle was ravaged and its reconstruction was entrusted to Salomon de Brosse.

  • In 1630, the spire of the Sainte-Chapelle fell victim to the flames.

  • Then, in 1737, it was the turn of the Cour des Comptes to suffer the same fate.

  • In 1776, during the reign of Louis XVI, a fire consumed the area between the Conciergerie and the Sainte-Chapelle. The façade overlooking the Cour du Mai, the main entrance to the Palace, was rebuilt between 1783 and 1786 in a neoclassical style with a colonnade. The monumental wrought-iron portal, elaborately crafted and gilded, which opens onto the Cour du Mai, was created in 1776 by master locksmith Bigonnet.

Faced with the constant increase in the number of legal cases, the July Monarchy (1830–1848) launched a major expansion program for the Palace. These works were completed under the Second Empire (1851–1870).

The construction was almost complete when the events of 1870 occurred (the abdication of Napoléon III and the insurrection of the “Commune”). The fire of 24 May 1871, set at several points in the Palais de Justice by the dying Commune, destroyed nearly a quarter-century of work.

The plans were redrawn and work resumed in 1883. The Conciergerie was nevertheless completed by that date.

Since 1914, the Palais has not seen any work of such magnitude.

The courts of the Palais de Justice and the relocation of the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI)

The Palais once housed all the courts of the city of Paris. Today, it accommodates only the highest national court (Cour de cassation), the regional appeal court (Paris) and the specialized assize court (sensitive cases).

The Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI, renamed Tribunal Judiciaire (TJ) as of 1 January 2020) was transferred in 2018 to the 17th arrondissement (north-west Paris).

In September 2021, the Palais de Justice hosted the trial of the November 13, 2015 attacks, lasting six months in a temporary courtroom located in the Salle des Pas Perdus.

The trial of the January 2015 attacks took place in 2020 in the new Palais de Justice.

Note: The Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police of the Paris Police Prefecture is leaving 36, quai des Orfèvres (right next to the Palais de Justice de la Cité), famous from French crime novels. It has moved to 36, rue du Bastion, in the 17th arrondissement, remaining close to the new courthouse.

The history written within the walls of the Palais de Justice de la Cité

Within its walls, personal tragedies unfolded, marked by the succession of trials.

But one of the most tragically infamous remains that of Queen Marie-Antoinette, during the Reign of Terror. It was a time when so many citizens were guillotined after being “tried” within the walls of the Palais de Justice. The neighboring prison of the Conciergerie received 2,270 prisoners sent by the Revolutionary Tribunal between 6 April 1793 and 31 May 1795. The condemned left the May courtyard (in front of the main entrance) in carts averaging twelve people at a time, to be taken to what is now Place de la Concorde, where the guillotine stood.

Marie-Antoinette’s trial began on 14 October 1793; she was sentenced to the guillotine on 16 October around four in the morning. She mounted the scaffold that same day at 12:15 p.m. The cell where Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned is visible at the Conciergerie, entrance at 2, quai de l’Horloge.

You can also visit the grand hall of the “Salles des Pas Perdus” in the Palais de Justice, once a vast royal reception hall. To the west of the palace lie the Courts of Appeal, including the first Court of Appeal, renowned for having hosted famous trials.

Some of the halls and courtyards where trials were held are also worth seeing, such as the first Civil Chamber of the judicial court. This is where the Revolutionary Tribunal sat, which condemned Queen Marie-Antoinette to death.

You can take a break in one of the rooms of the former judicial court, provided you remain quiet if hearings or conferences are taking place on the day of your visit.

The Court of Cassation hall can be visited individually (groups are not admitted).

The Palais de Justice spans 24 km of galleries and corridors, though not all areas are open to the public.

The Palais de Justice on the Île de la Cité: the current buildings

The current buildings are those that survived the fire of 1870 set by the Communards and those reconstructed after 1883.

The façade overlooking the Cour du Mai, above the main entrance of the palace, was rebuilt between 1783 and 1786 in a neoclassical style adorned with a colonnade.

The monumental wrought-iron and gilded gateway, richly decorated, which opens onto the Cour du Mai, was created in 1776 by master locksmith Bigonnet. The statues of Charlemagne and Philippe Auguste were sculpted in 1860 by Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire.

On the other side of the building, on rue Harlay, between the columns, six large standing figures symbolize, from left to right, Prudence and Truth, Punishment and Protection, then Strength and Equity. The grand staircase is flanked by two majestic reclining lions.

The east façade, on quai de l’Horloge, extends that of the Conciergerie.

Finally, the west façade mainly belongs to the former Paris Police Prefecture’s Regional Criminal Investigation Division, at 36, quai des Orfèvres.

To see nearby

You can explore the surrounding area by following our self-guided walks from Pont Neuf:

Starting from Concorde:

Alternatively, you can also see or visit (and book online directly from our website when available) the following Points of Interest:

And for a relaxing moment on the Seine waters with nearby boarding

Bonus: 5 essential tips to help you plan and enjoy your stay in Paris

Have you noticed that our website provides you with tools to help you easily organize your trip to Paris so that your stay is a stress-free success?

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3. List of Reservations to Make

To avoid wasting time waiting in line, we recommend making your reservations online a few days in advance. All official reservations are useful and available on our website:

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  • Reservations for your arrival in France: planes, trains, cars

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You will find links to all these reservations available directly in the articles about the attractions that interest you or in the self-guided routes of our walks. By clicking on "Reservations" in the header bar, you will have access to all the reservations you will need during your stay. For example:

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Photos

Aerial view of the Palais de Justice and Sainte-Chapelle in ParisGilded grille and monumental portal of the Palais de Justice in ParisFaçade and gilded portal of the Palais de Justice in Paris on the Île de la CitéVaulted gallery of the Palais de Justice in Paris with stained glass and chandeliersSalle des Pas Perdus in the Palais de Justice in Paris under its vaultsSalle des Pas Perdus in the Palais de Justice in Paris illuminated