The Restoration of the Baugé Courthouse: between History and Modernity

Discover the restoration of the Baugé Courthouse, where the K08 team had the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of this historical monument.

The History of the Baugé Courthouse

Built between 1862 and 1866 by the architect Léon Rohard (a member of the société centrale des architectes français), the Baugé Courthouse is a neo-classical monument from the Second Empire era. Its construction was inspired by the Palais de Justice de Paris. The building is unique due to its Greek-inspired columns, as well as other symbolic elements such as oak leaves, lanterns, and the Hand of Justice.

In 1864, a prison was built at the back of the courthouse and remained in use until 1951. However, in 1980, the interior buildings of the prison were demolished to build the René-d’Anjou cultural centre, where the surrounding wall still remains today.

In 1972, the Tribunal was donated by the County Council to the town of Baugé, and in 1986 it was listed as a historic monument because of its heritage value.

The Restoration Project

After more than twenty years without maintenance, the Baugé Courthouse suffered significant deterioration. This led to the launch of a restauration campaign. In 2020, the courthouse was selected by the Mission Bern and the Fondation du Patrimoine to benefit from restoration program aimed at preserving this historic building.

The 32-month project, which began in 2022, will not only enable the building to be restored, but will also provide training for young skilled craftsmen. A number of apprentices have been trained on the site, for example in stone-cutting. Furthermore, this project has sustained almost 15,000 jobs over the course of a year. Finally, the total cost of the project was close to three million euros.

Today, the courthouse is beginning a new chapter with the “Maison du Citoyen Connecté”. This project will provide office space for local associations as well as digital facilities.

The restoration was carried out in several phases, including the complete renovation of the roof with traditional slate, the restoration of the tuffeau stone facades, the reinforcement of the framework, and the refurbishment of interior elements such as the courtroom.

This project highlights the importance of heritage preservation while adapting historic buildings to meet contemporary needs.