Les Prisons Royales

Great history and little secrets of an 18th century prison!

This historic complex dating from the 18th century is unique in Burgundy Franche-Comté due to its state of preservation.

Under Louis XIV, Franche-Comté was a province prone to smuggling. The Justice des Gabelles was created to fight against the illegal trade in salt, tobacco and fabrics.

Built between 1930 and 1941 to house the gabelles court, the building includes an auditorium, prisons, the gaoler's accommodation and a chapel.

After the Revolution, the establishment was used as a prison for prisoners going from Lons-le-Saunier to Bourg-en-Bresse on foot. The prison was disused in 1869.

You will discover the journey of a prisoner for smuggling, the conditions of detention under the old regime and the functioning of the prison.

Let yourself be taken from the guardhouse to the still well-preserved dungeons!

Stroll through the corridors of the prisons, to grasp, at the corner of a door or at the turn of a staircase, their history.