Town Hall

Roanne's Town Hall is one of the town's most beautiful buildings. It was built on the site of a former convent which was already used as the town hall. This typical 19th-century building was completed in 1874, and features a stunning combination of different stones that give it its distinctive appearance. These include black stone from Volvic, light yellow stone from Chevroche in the Nièvre region, golden stone from Apremont and ochre stone from Saint-Maurice. The project was entrusted to the architect Corroyer, an apprentice of Viollet-le-Duc. However, it took almost 10 years to see the light of day, as it was interrupted by the war of 1870. The result was an outstanding masterpiece, that helped make this one of the town's most important squares, in addition to being one of its most impressive. In front of the Town Hall, there is a large fountain topped by the statue of a woman sitting in a boat and holding an oar. The statue represents the town of Roanne and its famous river, the Loire. Look at the base of the statue: you'll see bronze plaques that pay tribute to François Populle, mayor of Roanne between 1808 and 1815, who heroically prevented the Austrian invasion of his town and was awarded the French Legion of Honour by Napoleon III. This square tells part of Roanne's history, and is also very popular with the locals.