Parliament of Dijon, Renaissance courthouse in Dijon, France

The Parliament of Dijon is a Renaissance courthouse with an ornate facade, fine stonework, and symmetrical architectural details showing classical proportions. Inside are several important chambers, including the Salle des Pas Perdus and the Chambre Dorée, furnished with valuable decorations.

The Parlement de Bourgogne grew out of the ducal Curia Ducis and was founded in 1354 by Duke Philip II of Burgundy at Beaune. After the duchy passed to the French crown in 1477, Louis XI moved it to Dijon in 1480, partly against Beaune, which had opposed him; Louis I d'Amboise installed it in rooms of the Chambre des Comptes. A 1499 plague drove the magistrates back to Beaune until 1507, when they returned on the promise of a new building.

The court's name survives in the street and the building is still the Cour d'appel de Dijon, as the carved inscription above the wooden door states. Inside, the Chambre Dorée has a ceiling of thirty-five coffers with royal motifs, and the letters for Yahvé at the centre of the frieze. The Salle Saint-Louis keeps a carved wooden door, the only remnant of its chapel.

Access to this monument is limited to organized tours only, so advance planning is necessary. Visitors should check available times beforehand to ensure they can arrange a suitable visit.

Hugues Sambin carved only the sculpted door of the Renaissance facade, finished in 1580; he did not design the building. The Salle Saint-Louis has an inverted ship's-hull vault, and its near-twin is the patients' hall of the Beaune hospices, though sources cannot say which room copied the other.