Palace of Justice in Paris

Of all the sights of Paris, the Palace of Justice deserves special attention. It is located on the island of Cité and occupies a separate county that makes up almost half of the island. Here in several buildings, which are a separate palace complex, are located the Court of Cassation and Appeal, as well as several departmental institutions.

For four centuries since the formation of France, the Palais de la Cité was the residence of the French kings. Charles the Fifth was the last monarch to visit here, after which the residence was moved to the Hotel Saint-Paul and then to the Louvre. On the island of Cité, only the royal administration and state apparatus remained - the Paris Parliament, the Court of Accounts and the Treasury. Today, the entire judicial system of France is concentrated here, which can be called a city in a city. It even has its own criminal police force.

The Palace of Justice is an organic mixture of architectural styles of the XIII-XX centuries. From the first royal palace, only the labyrinth of cellars and prisons, the Conciergerie building and the Holy Chapel, which today house museums, have survived. There were high-profile trials with such famous personalities as Emil Zola and Mata Hari.