Former Vicomtal Prison

The former viscount's prison

The Honfleur audio-guided tour takes you into the Rue de la Prison, one of the oldest of the city, where the prison of the viscounty of Roncheville once stood.

A medieval prison in a half-timbered house

The Rue de la Prison owes its name to the prison of the viscounty of Roncheville, once set in a half-timbered house of the sixteenth century. This small building served to lock up people accused of offences or awaiting judgment, and sometimes passing prisoners, sailors or travellers. This prison came under the viscounty of Roncheville, the authority that administered Honfleur since the Middle Ages. A part of its former premises today houses the museum of ethnography and popular art, where one discovers old interiors, costumes and objects of daily life and of the maritime tradition. The prison has disappeared, but its name has remained attached to the street, a trace of the past preserved by the place name.

What there is to see

The Rue de la Prison preserves the charm of the old lanes of Honfleur and the memory of a medieval judicial past. The museum of ethnography and popular art, set in the former premises, plunges the visitor into the daily life of the past. It is a stage that recalls, like so many streets of the city, that a simple name can preserve a page of history.

Practical information

The Rue de la Prison and the former viscount's prison are in the historic centre of Honfleur. The street can be walked freely; the museum of ethnography and popular art can be visited according to hours to be checked on site.

What was the former viscount's prison used for?

To lock up people accused of offences or awaiting judgment, under the authority of the viscounty of Roncheville.

What do its former premises house today?

A part houses the museum of ethnography and popular art of Honfleur.