Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia de Valparaíso, Judicial building in Valparaíso, Chile.
The Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia is a courthouse at the foot of Cerro Alegre in Valparaíso, near the Edificio Armada de Chile and Plaza Sotomayor. It houses the Court of Appeals of the Valparaíso Region. The building, inaugurated in 1939, has a Historicist style with a Greco-Roman portico and Art Deco elements. A statue of Themis stands in front of it.
The site was occupied by Augustinian friars until the land was expropriated in the early republican period to build the city's first theatre. A customs warehouse went up in 1839 and served until courts moved in late in the century; it was demolished in 1903. The present Palacio de Justicia was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1939 under architect Augusto Geiger, in a historicist style with Greco-Roman features.
The courthouse reflects Chilean legal traditions through its architectural details, especially the sculpted female figures on the facade and the colored glass windows that display symbols of justice.
The courthouse is accessed through the main facade with wide steps that make entrances easy to reach for visitors. The layout inside is logically organized with signage to help navigate the different court sections and offices.
The statue of Themis outside the building is blindfold-free and holds a balance that is out of equilibrium, details that have fed local myths and legends. It was moved several times before reaching this spot when the palace opened in 1939.
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