Bergen Courthouse

The Courthouse, in Bergen

The Courthouse of Bergen stands on the small square of Tårnplassen, adorned with four great allegorical statues. The Bergen audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this majestic building, whose entrance is guarded by the four cardinal virtues, in the heart of the Norwegian town.

The four cardinal virtues

The small square of Tårnplassen reveals the Courthouse of Bergen. The four statues of three metres high that adorn the entrance are allegories of the four cardinal virtues, these fundamental moral qualities inherited from ancient philosophy and dear to the Western tradition. The first represents wisdom, or prudence, that guides the judgement; the second, justice, that gives to each their due; the two others figure temperance, that invites to measure, and fortitude, or courage, that allows to confront adversity. These virtues, sculpted with care, symbolically watch over the judicial institution and recall the principles that must guide justice. The building itself, raised in a monumental and careful style, testifies to the importance accorded to law and justice in the town. Seat of the courts, it is one of the remarkable official buildings of Bergen, and its ornate façade constitutes a fine example of the public architecture of its era. The square of Tårnplassen, peaceful, offers a pleasant setting to admire this monument and its allegories. A majestic building and a tribute to the virtues, the Courthouse is a fine stop of the discovery of Bergen.

What to see

You admire the majestic Courthouse of Bergen, on the small square of Tårnplassen, whose entrance is adorned with four statues of three metres high, allegories of the four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance and fortitude; these sculpted figures symbolically watch over the judicial institution, and the building testifies to the importance accorded to law in the town. The Courthouse is a remarkable building of Bergen. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Courthouse lies on the square of Tårnplassen, in the centre of Bergen, reachable on foot. You admire its façade and its statues from the square; it is an official building whose interior access follows its own conditions. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

What do the four statues of the Courthouse of Bergen represent?

The four cardinal virtues: these statues of three metres high, that adorn the entrance of the Courthouse on the square of Tårnplassen, figure wisdom, or prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, or courage, these moral qualities inherited from ancient philosophy that symbolically watch over the judicial institution.

Where is the Courthouse in Bergen?

On the square of Tårnplassen, in the centre of Bergen, in Norway.