Hôtel de Ville de La Rochelle, Renaissance town hall in La Rochelle, France.
The town hall features high windows adorned with Corinthian columns and architectural niches containing sculptures representing cardinal virtues on its facade.
Built in 1298 and reconstructed in 1490, this municipal building stands as the oldest functioning town hall in France with continuous administrative operations.
The interior gallery, constructed between 1595 and 1606, contains paintings and sculptures that represent the maritime and municipal history of La Rochelle.
The town hall welcomes visitors from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 18:00, with additional hours on Saturday from 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 18:00.
The building incorporates defensive architectural elements including crenellated walls, machicolations, and a corner tower that reflects the power of Renaissance La Rochelle.
Location: La Rochelle
Architects: Juste Lisch
Architectural style: Renaissance architecture
Address: 1 RUE DE L'HOTEL DE VILLE, BP 1541, 17086 LA ROCHELLE CEDEX 2
GPS coordinates: 46.15960,-1.15125
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:41
La Rochelle documents over seven centuries of French maritime history through its medieval fortifications and Renaissance architecture. The old port is guarded by three stone towers from the 14th and 15th centuries - the Saint Nicolas Tower, the Tour de la Chaîne, and the Lantern Tower - which once controlled access to the sea. The Great Clock Gate from 1476 connects the harbor front to the old city streets. The city center preserves buildings from the 16th through 18th centuries, with arcaded passages along Rue du Palais and Rue des Merciers. The Fontaine des Pilori dates from the 16th century, while the City Hall features Renaissance facades from 1595. The Musée du Nouveau Monde examines La Rochelle's transatlantic trade connections. The Les Minimes marina now serves more than 5,000 boats, making it one of the largest yacht harbors on the French Atlantic coast. The modern Passerelle Nelson Mandela, opened in 1993, carries pedestrians across the main harbor. Beyond the city center, the bridge to Île de Ré extends roughly 2 miles (3 kilometers) across the Bay of Biscay.
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