Construction of the chapel 1516–1531 (≈ 1524)
Octagonal chapel under Louis de Canossa.
1770–1771
Reconstruction of the palace
Reconstruction of the palace 1770–1771 (≈ 1771)
Modernisation before the Revolution.
1793
End of episcopal function
End of episcopal function 1793 (≈ 1793)
Becoming national after the Revolution.
1797
Planting of platane
Planting of platane 1797 (≈ 1797)
Tree of freedom in the courtyard.
1900
Installation of the Baron-Gérard Museum
Installation of the Baron-Gérard Museum 1900 (≈ 1900)
Transfer to the ancient wing of the palace.
2001–2013
Museum renovation
Museum renovation 2001–2013 (≈ 2007)
Chapel restoration and enlargement.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The chapel with its painted decoration (cad. AK 217): classification by decree of 29 January 1996 - The following parts, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: Building A, rue de la Chaîne (Baron Gérard Museum), in full as well as the floor of the Saint-Yves Garden; Building B, Place de la Liberté, in full; Building C, Place de la Liberté: facades and roofs; Building D, Place de l'Hôtel-de-ville (Hôtel de Ville) , in full (cad. AK 217 - 15 rue Laitière, 225 - 39 rue du Bienvenu): registration by order of 25 May 2010
Key figures
Louis de Canossa - Bishop of Bayeux (1516–1531)
Sponsor of the Renaissance Chapel.
Gabriel Moisson de Vaux - Member of Bayeux District
Initiator of the plane of freedom.
Origin and history
The Episcopal Palace of Bayeux, built in the 16th century, was the residence of the bishops until 1793. It was part of a canonial ensemble including Notre Dame Cathedral, the cloister, and other ecclesiastical buildings. The octagonal chapel, erected under the episcopate of Louis de Canossa (1516–131), illustrates the Renaissance style. The palace was partially rebuilt in 1770-1771 and then transformed after the Revolution.
After 1793, the palace lost its religious function. A plane tree, planted in 1797 as a tree of freedom, was classified as a natural monument in 1932. In the 19th century, the building housed a court and a prison, while the chapel became a deliberative room. In 1900, the Baron-Gérard Museum was installed, before a major renovation between 2001 and 2013.
Today, the palace consists of four wings: wing A (Baron-Gérard Museum), wing B (museum and chapel), wing C (city hall, Napoleon III style), and wing D (former stop house). The chapel, classified in 1996, retains a 17th century painted decoration. The ensemble, protected since 2010, combines Renaissance architecture and subsequent transformations.
The palace is located to the north of the cathedral, within a perimeter bounded by the old fortifications and historic streets like Larcher Street. Its slightly biased axis suggests a link to the construction of the cathedral. The Place de la Liberté, where the bicentennial plane tree stands, recalls its revolutionary heritage.
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