Anciennes Prisons, Prison turned documentation center in Guingamp, France.
Anciennes Prisons is a former prison building in Guingamp featuring the architectural design of early 19th-century penal institutions. The structure contains individual cells organized around a central courtyard and has been preserved as a public site open to visitors.
The building was constructed between 1834 and 1840 following an advanced penal system model developed in the early 1800s. This design represented an important shift in how European prisons were organized and managed during that era.
The building now serves as a cultural venue hosting art exhibitions and creative activities. Visitors can see how the former prison spaces have been transformed into areas where artists and the community gather.
Check local information sources for current visiting times and available guided tours of the site. The building is located in central Guingamp and can be easily reached on foot from nearby areas.
Each cell was remarkably confined by modern standards, reflecting the solitary confinement concept of the 1800s. This restriction was based on a reform theory of that period that viewed isolation as a path to rehabilitation.
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