Le Pilori – Espace d'arts visuels

Built from 1530 to 1535 by the master mason Mathurin Berthomé on the foundations of a XNUMXth century building, this "fortress of communal freedoms" is the former Town Hall of Niort from the Middle Ages to the Revolution. It bears this name to remind us that in the past the mayor had the right to administer justice. For this reason, two iron collars, fixed in the wall of the building, made it possible to "pillory" the offender wearing a sign on his neck on which his offense was mentioned.
A lapidary and numismatic museum from 1887 to 1987, the Historic Monument is today the “Visual Arts Space” (place for temporary exhibitions on contemporary works).