This, the largest civil Gothic edifice in France, was constructed towards the end of the Middle Ages on the remains of the former Jewish quarter of the city, which was destroyed after the expulsion of the Jews in 1306.

Construction of the oldest part (the west wing) began in 1499 to house the Exchequer of Normandy (high judicial and financial court).The Exchequer was converted into the Parliament of Normandy in 1515. The building situated to the north, at the back of the courtyard, was added in the 16th century; it is sumptuously decorated and the immense roof is adorned with large attic windows and a balustrade bristling with spires, interconnected by open buttresses. The eastern part of the building (to the right of the courtyard) dates from the 19th century. The visible shell holes in the building's stone walls testify to the violent allied bombing that the city underwent when it was liberated in 1944. The edifice now houses the court house (the assize court in particular) [rouentourisme.com] Date 11 December 2014, 19:15 Source Palais de justice de Rouen Author Jorge Láscar from Melbourne, Australia