Rouen Palace of Justice

The new construction, with its polygonal shape, faced strong criticism from the people of Rouen due to the reconstruction of part of the crenellated wall, which had been missing since 1836. The critics argued that it obscured the rich ornamentation of the House facades. Despite defenders pointing to the identical wall of the Hôtel de Cluny in Paris, their voices went unheard. During this period, the staircases of Henri Charles Grégoire and Lucien Lefort coexisted in an unusual manner, cluttering the western part of the courtyard with their size.

In August 1903, a general dismantling process began, and the crenellated wall was covered with graffiti such as "Down with the wall", "Please urinate while passing", and "Lefort is weak."

Paul Selmersheim, responsible for dismantling and rebuilding the choir and transept of the Basilique of Saint-Urbain of Troyes, used his experience to design a vaulted porch with a suspended flight in a Champagne neo-Gothic style. This unconventional choice enabled him to create an airy architecture that met the aesthetic preferences of the people of Rouen and resolved the controversy.

Architecture

The Courthouse is a rare excample of civil Gothic architecture from the late Middle Ages in France. The building's wide facade is monumental, reflecting the post-Hundred Years' War. There was a clear intention to impress and assert urban power by drawing inspiration from the architectural style of religious buildings.

Construction work began around 1499 with the west wing, located to the left of the current ensemble. This building originally served as the Neuf Marché palace and still retains a medieval charm with its flamboyant Gothic style facade. The facade features elaborate ornamentation on multiple levels, but it avoids the decorative overload seen in the central part of the building.The roofline of this wing is adorned with pinnacles, gargoyles, and a balustrade with motifs of bellows and mouchettes, whose curving and counter-curving motifs seem to evoke, as Michelet put it, "flames, hearts or tears." Crowning the ensemble, the flamboyant dormer windows already showcase scalloped arches surmounted by pierced arcades at their peaks. These elements will be further developed on the central wing of the building, which was constructed later. This French tradition of crowning facades with dormer windows later caught the admiration of Serlio when he arrived in France in 1540. He described that dormer windows "are great ornaments for buildings like a crown" and that the large slate-covered attics are "very pleasant and noble" architectural features.

The central body of the building, which was originally the Royal Palace of 1508, showcases a stylistic evolution with a transitional style between Gothic art and Early Renaissance. This style, known as the Louis XII style, is reminiscent of the Bourgtheroulde Hotel and the contemporary French Finance Office in its architecture.

Becoming one of the true leitmotifs of this new architectural style, the expansion of windows on the facade conveys a sense of luxury, while their abundance adds to the grandeur of the House. By the late 14th century, the idea of buildings with large openings to the outside had already taken hold, as seen in Guillebert de Mets' description of Jacques Ducy's lavish Parisian residence. These widened windows not only bring in light but also improve ventilation, reflecting a growing concern for hygiene and quality of life (Bourgtheroulde Hotel). Following a model that emerged in the late 14th century, windows featured two large bays separated by a stone mullion in the shape of a cross, earning the name "cross windows". During that time, their interior wooden leaves were reinforced with metal hinges.

As can be seen in the Louis XII wing of the Château de Blois and the contemporary Compiegne Hotel de Ville, the pointed arch was replaced by the accolade or heel arch. This motif, which first appeared at the end of the 14th century, became very important in the courthouse of Rouen and almost always crowned the segmental arches with basket handles. The cushioning of these decorative arches consists of a pedicle ending in a fleuron: these floral pediments crown windows, pinnacles and ground floor portals. As in the portal of the Bourgtheroulde Hotel, a series of small three-lobed arches separated by hooks, called festoons, systematically decorate the intrados of the arches.

The wall is characterized by multiple levels of ornamentation, with decorative elements covering the surfaces and sometimes overwhelming the sculpture and architectural lines (Butter Tower in Rouen Cathedral). Influenced by Italian design, the superimposed openings in bays connected by moldings lead to highly ornamented dormer windows, which help organize the facades and anticipate the grid patterns of Early Renaissance exteriors. The windows feature stone embrasures, a noble material, with molded jambs and lintels in flat elliptical arches adorned with festoons (as in Châteaudun).

The central pavilion, designed as an avant-corps, features the characteristic bell-shaped arch motif of the late 15th century. This arch comprises two curved elements that mimic the shape of a bell (Notre-Dame cathedral in Senlis, Maison des Têtes in Valence, etc.).

Dormer windows are another prominent feature of the Louis XII style. Elaborately adorned during this period, they are situated at the base of the roof, forming an intricate clerestory design of arcades and small flying buttresses that connect the gablet to the two flanking pinnacles. While still reflecting the flamboyant Gothic style, they also exhibit elements of Early Renaissance design in their tiered structure and the stylized motifs of the baluster they crown.

To replace the statues that were mostly lost during the Revolution, Joseph Brun (1792–1855), the winner of the first Prix de Rome in 1817, was tasked with depicting various social classes and personalities who played a role in the construction of the building, starting in 1836. The sculpted figures include Louis XII, Anne of Brittany, Cardinal d'Amboise, Francis I, an allegory of Justice, a farmer, a villager, a damsel, a lord, a monk, and an artist.

To the east of the courtyard, opposite the Procureurs' Hall, at the corner of Rue Saint-Lo, a new wing in classical style was developed in 1700 by Jacques II Millets-Désruisseaux. To complement this new ensemble, a residential building located on Place du Neuf Marché was started in 1739 by Pierre Jarry and completed in 1759 by Alexandre Dubois. This wing was almost completely destroyed when the main pediment of the building, then threatening to collapse, finally fell on April 1, 1812, at ten o'clock in the evening. The total reconstruction of this part of the Courthouse seemed inevitable when, in 1830, Arcisse de Caumont's work on Norman architecture was published, followed by the founding of the Society of Antiquaries of Normandy. Judged as a disparate and unpleasant ensemble, breaking the architectural balance of the entire monument, this part of the House was eventually replaced between 1833 and 1836 by spacious constructions, entirely in line with the style of the other two medieval wings. While it took up the flamboyant elevation of the west wing facing it, it nonetheless constitutes a neo-Gothic pastiche of the architecture of Roger Ango and Roulland Le Roux.

The facades of the clock tower on Rue Jeanne d'Arc and Rue aux Juifs deviate from the symmetrical constraints of the courtyard, showcasing originality. During the Restoration era, architects embraced the romantic aesthetic of neo-Gothic style, moving away from Greek and Roman influences. The Courthouse in Rouen stands out for its remarkable attention to various viewpoints, incorporating picturesque elements that enliven the overall design.

The staircase next to the medieval wing on the left side of the courtyard was rebuilt in 1904 by the architect Paul Selmersheim in the Champagne neo-Gothic style. This reconstruction followed the controversy surrounding dismantling of the original work by architect Lucien Lefort in 1903.

Initially damaged during the bombing on April 19, 1944, known as the "Red Week," the most severe destruction occurred on August 26, just before the city's liberation. This bombing, caused by a targeting error, nearly obliterated the central residential building in the Louis XII style, due to a marker error. The building then had to be partially reconstructed. The almost complete completion of this meticulous restoration confirmed the classification of the building as a historical monument in 1977, with its final inscription in 1979.

Interior

In the central wing of the building, which corresponds to the former Royal Palace of Louis XII, the Great Chamber of the Parliament now serves as the seat of the Assize Court. It features a Renaissance-style coffered ceiling adorned with rosettes and gilded bronze ornaments. The chamber was completely destroyed during the bombing on August 26 that preceded the city's liberation. However, it was faithfully restored after the war using the same aged ebony-colored oak wood. At the end of this hall, overlooking the seats of the Assize Court, sculpted allegories of Strength and Justice accompany a crucified Christ.

In the nearby Council Chamber, several portraits of presidents and councilors of the Parliament of Normandy are displayed. A precious painting on a gold background, gifted by Louis XII, portrays a crucified Christ with two grieving holy women at his feet.

The western part of the building, which predates the main structure, was built from 1499 to serve as a meeting place for merchants. The ground floor houses the Concierge and former prisons, while a large external staircase built in 1904 by Paul Selmersheim provides access to the Salle des Procureurs or the Hall of Lost Steps. This is where Pierre Corneille conducted his pleadings as a lawyer. The hall occupies almost the entire first floor, measuring 48.72 meters long and 16.24 meters wide, and was built between 1507 and 1517 in the Louis XII style. During the bombing known as the "Red Week," on April 19, 1944, the hall was severely damaged. However, its immense vault was restored after the war to its original shape resembling an inverted ship's hull, with the nave consisting of a single flight unsupported by any pillar. The walls feature elegant niches without statues. At one end of the hall, a plaster model made in 1834 by David d'Angers serves as the last remnant of the statue of Pierre Corneille that once stood on the central platform of the stone bridge, which was destroyed in 1940. On the opposite end of the hall are the tombs of Claude Groulard, the first President of the Parliament of Normandy, and Barbe Guiffard, his wife, from the castle of Saint-Aubin-le-Cauf, near Dieppe.

To the east of the building, across from Procureurs' Hall on Rue Saint-Lo, a new classical-style wing was constructed in 1700 by Jacques II Millets-Désruisseaux. Inside, there was a ceiling painted by Jean Jouvenet, who, despite being paralyzed in his right hand, painted the Triumph of Justice using his left hand. This ensemble was completely destroyed when the main pediment of the building, which was at risk of collapsing, finally fell on April 1, 1812, at ten o'clock in the evening. This section of the Courthouse created a jarring contrast with the rest of the monument and was eventually replaced from 1833 to 1836 with spacious constructions that harmonized with the style of the other two medieval wings.

Le décor intérieur de la bibliothèque du Tribunal de Grande Instance mêle le style néogothique au néo-classicisme. Son plafond fut restitué après guerre dans son style néo-Renaissance originel.

The interior decor of the Tribunal de Grande Instance library combines Neo-Gothic and Neoclassical styles. The ceiling was restored to its original Neo-Renaissance style after the war.

The Maison sublime of the Clos aux Juifs

Discovered in 1976 under the staircase of the East wing, to the right of the courtyard of honor of the Rouen Courthouse, the Maison Sublime is a rectangular monument measuring 14.14 m by 9.46 m. Dating back to 1100, this house was originally located in the Clos aux Juifs, the medieval quarter of the community.