Palais de l'Isle

The Palais de l'Isle, also written Palais de l'Île, is a fortified house in Annecy, France, located in the middle of the Thiou River. The building is connected to both banks of the river by two pedestrian bridges. Popularly, the Palais de l'Isle is also called "Les Vieilles Prisons" (English: The Old Prisons). It houses a local history museum and the "Centre d'Interprétation de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine" (CIAP).

The heart of the Palais is the tower house, which dates from the late 12th or early 13th century. It is built of uniform masonry bonds. On the first floor of the house is the former courtroom, above which are two more floors. The house has two courtyards: a larger one in the middle of the island and a smaller, tree-covered one to the east of the island, which separates the main building from a triangular chapel. The former prison cells are located in the south of the island.

The Palais de l'Isle is only about 100 meters from Annecy Castle.

The building was constructed in 1132 and was the main residence of the Seigneur d'Annecy (English: Lord of Annecy) in the early 12th century. Later, it was the headquarters of the administration of the County of Geneva, whose capital Annecy was from 1213 to 1320. Subsequently, the Palais de l'Isle was used as a courthouse and, until the French Revolution, also as a prison. The courtroom and cells, as well as the former chapel, can still be visited today. From the Middle Ages until 1865, the building served as a mint. During the Second World War, this operation was briefly resumed.

On February 16, 1900, the Palais de l'Isle was registered as a Monument historique. After the Second World War, it was restored and is now owned by the municipality of Annecy.