Ancienne prison, Historical prison in Pont-l'Évêque, France

The Ancienne prison is a symmetrical two-storey building at 5 rue Eugène-Pian, behind the Pont-l'Évêque courthouse. Its red brick facade has pale stone trim, two rows of arched windows with stone surrounds, and a projecting round stone tower with a crenellated top and narrow arched windows. The base course is stone with dark rectangular panels.

The Ancienne prison was built from 1811, when an imperial decree ordered a new prison and courthouse for Pont-l'Évêque, and opened in 1823; construction was led by Jean-Baptiste Philippe Harou, then completed by his son Romain. It held prisoners until 1953, including resistance members and other victims of the Nazi occupation, a role little known before 2022. A scandal in the 1950s closed it and inspired a comedy starring Michel Simon.

Locals call it the "Joyeuse Prison", a nickname tied to a 1950s scandal in the courts and a popular comedy starring Michel Simon that fixed the name in the public mind. The building also held Resistance members and other victims of the Nazi occupation, an episode little known before 2022.

The building sits conveniently near the town center and is easy to find from the main streets. Be aware that interior spaces have been modified for modern use, so access to certain areas may be restricted or limited.

The prison was built on the grounds of the Dominican convent of L'Isle, closed in 1792; only a 17th-century timber-framed building of the convent survives nearby. Its neighbour, the courthouse, rose on the site of the convent church, while the prison took the conventual courtyards. Construction was ordered by imperial decree in 1811 and led by Jean-Baptiste Philippe Harou, then completed by his son Romain Harou.