Friday’s Tall Tales #19

Posted on 12/05/2023 by Sheree

Whenever I photograph a door or gate I wonder about its provenance, who and what has happened across said door or gate. I thought I might pick one from #Thursdaydoors and tell you a bit more about it or……maybe even weave a story about it.

This is the side door to one of Nice’s most important buildings.

For more than 130 years, the Palais de Justice has stood on one of the busiest squares in old Nice. In the heart of the city, it is surrounded by many restaurant terraces as well as the Clock Tower, located just next door. Built between 1890 and 1892, this large building retraces part of the history of Nice with its impressive facade behind which sit the courts and tribunals, as well as its grand staircase in the neo-classical style. The eponymous square is one of the oldest in the so-called most “modern” part of the Vieux-Nice district.

It was in the Middle Ages (around 1243) that the Dominican order settled in this area and, in 1482, they rebuilt the church which initially gave its name to the square. It is also in this one that Duke Charles III the Good, 27th prince of the House of Savoy, married Beatrix of Portugal in 1521. The monks abandoned this place during the revolutionary occupation.

In order to enlarge the Palace of the Prefecture, and to build a Palace of Justice, the site of the former convent was used to locate the new judicial institution, inaugurated in 1892.

Built in an Italian Renaissance style, the building was the work of departmental architect Auguste-Vincent Diedé-Défly (1845-1903). It stands on a square, which was successively called Egalité under the Revolution, Imperial under the Empire, then Saint-Dominique again in 1903 before finally becoming the Palais de Justice. It was completely renovated in 1987, following the construction of an underground car park which, thanks to archaeological excavations, uncovered vestiges of ramparts, dwellings and pipes dating from the Middle Ages. Le Palais de Justice | Nice Côte d'Azur CVB

For more than 130 years, the Palais de Justice has stood on one of the busiest squares in old Nice. In the heart of the city, now it is surrounded by many restaurant terraces as well as the Clock Tower, located just next door. This large building retraces part of the history of Nice with its impressive facade behind which sit the courts and tribunals, as well as its grand, neo-classical style staircase. The eponymous square is one of the oldest in the so-called most “modern” part of the Vieux-Nice district.

Today, this large historic building fits perfectly into the landscape and passers-by can admire its imposing architecture during a stroll through the shopping streets or passing through the Book Market which is set up there every 1st and 3rd Saturday. of each month.