Palais archiépiscopal de Besançon

The Archbishop's Palace of Besançon (Palais archiépiscopal de Besançon), also known as the Hôtel de Grammont, sits on rue de la Convention inside La Boucle, the historic loop of the Doubs river that forms Besançon's old town. Visitors strolling past its facade are usually looking at the current rectorate of the Besançon education authority — a building whose churchly past is easy to miss unless you know where to look.

What was this building before it became a rectorate?

For roughly two centuries, this address served as the working residence of the archbishops of Besançon. The property actually combines two adjoining plots, numbers 8 and 10 on rue de la Convention, which is why its interior layout feels somewhat disjointed to anyone walking through — different wings were built at different times, under different hands.

Who commissioned the palace, and when?

The story starts between 1698 and 1705, when Archbishop François-Joseph de Grammont enlarged a townhouse he already owned on rue de la Convention. He hired architect Jean Cuene for the job. Grammont died in 1717, and rather than passing to a single heir, the residence continued to be rented out to whichever archbishop held the see afterward.

A summer salon added under Grammont

Before his death, in 1713, Grammont commissioned architect Claude-Antoine Aillet to design a summer salon inside the residence — still one of its more decorative rooms and a marker of how much care went into the property even in its earlier phase.

How did the palace take its final shape?

The turning point came in 1735. That year the residence was formally merged with the neighboring archbishop's building, and together they were referred to as the "new palace." As part of the same campaign, architect Jean-Pierre Galezot designed a grand staircase on the rear facade — the feature most likely to catch a visitor's eye today, assuming access to the interior is granted.

What has survived, and what is protected?

Inside the complex stands the Chapel of Saint Nicolas, listed as a historic monument as early as 1908 — decades before the rest of the building received any formal protection. The wider former archevêché was registered as a historic monument by decree on 18 October 1979, covering the facades and roofs facing rue de la Convention, the wrought-iron staircase railing, and four reception rooms along with their decoration.

Why does a former archbishop's palace now house a rectorate?

The answer has more to do with French history than with the building itself. Following the 1905 law separating church and state, much of the Catholic Church's property in France passed into public hands, and this palace was no exception. It was taken over by the education administration and has served as the seat of the Besançon academy's rectorate ever since, its historic architecture largely intact.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the Archbishop's Palace of Besançon? The building functions as an administrative office — the rectorate of the local education authority — so interior access is limited and depends on the institution's own rules. The exterior and facades can be viewed freely from the street.

Is this the same building as the Granvelle Palace in Besançon? No. The Granvelle Palace, now home to the Musée du Temps, was built in the 16th century as the residence of the Granvelle family. The Archbishop's Palace on rue de la Convention is an 18th-century former ecclesiastical residence, today occupied by the rectorate.

What is the oldest protected part of the building? The Chapel of Saint Nicolas, listed as a historic monument in 1908, decades before the rest of the complex gained protected status in 1979.

Who was responsible for the palace's current appearance? Archbishop François-Joseph de Grammont initiated the expansion around 1698–1705 with architect Jean Cuene, and later additions — the summer salon and the grand staircase — came from architects Claude-Antoine Aillet and Jean-Pierre Galezot respectively.