About
Behind a Flamboyant Gothic enclosure wall with crenellations, turrets, machicolations and gargoyles — built in 1486–1492 on the north side and finished in 1498 on the west — lies a Renaissance courtyard. The pavilion dates from around 1550; the grand gallery was begun in 1595 and completed in 1605–1606, and a statue of Henri IV was placed under the canopy of the staircase in 1612. The town hall has been listed as a historic monument since 1861.
From 1872 to 1877 the building was restored and enlarged under the architect Juste Lisch, who rebuilt the grand staircase — adorned with a polychrome faience Henri IV by Théodore Deck — and in 1878 it was decided to raise the north tower with a belfry.
On 28 June 2013 a fire broke out in the historic roofs: the main roof collapsed onto the ceiling of the great hall and the fire was not out until the next morning. After a long restoration led by Philippe Villeneuve, the historic town hall reopened in December 2019.
Visiting the town hall
The courtyard is free to enter during the town hall’s opening hours and at weekends. The interior — the Salle des échevins, the great hall, the salon bleu, the council chamber and the office of Jean Guiton — can only be seen on a 45-minute guided tour (in French) run by the tourist office on certain days depending on the season; booking is advised. Town hall services: larochelle.fr.
Visitor information
On the map
Sources: Wikipedia (Hôtel de ville de La Rochelle) · Wikipedia (Hôtel de Ville, La Rochelle) · culture.gouv.fr · holidays-la-rochelle.co.uk. The former version of this site dated the building to 1756–1760 — that was wrong and has been removed. Checked 14 October 2026.