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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Archepiscopal Palace of Besançon, also known as Hotel de Grammont, is an emblematic building located at 8 and 10 rue de la Convention, in the Loop district. Built between the 15th and 18th centuries, it embodies the architectural and political evolution of the city, moving from an episcopal residence to an administrative building after the separation of the Church and the State in 1905. The chapel of Saint-Nicolas, integrated into the monument, dates from the 15th century, while the major enlargements were carried out at the beginning of the 18th century under the impulse of the archbishops of the Grammont family.

Between 1698 and 1705 François-Joseph de Grammont, then archbishop, had his existing house transformed by architect Jean Cuene, creating a mansion that would be rented to his successors after his death in 1717. In 1735 his nephew Antoine-Pierre II de Grammont, appointed by Louis XV, hired the architect Jean-Pierre Galezot to enlarge the building, notably by setting up a staircase of honour on the posterior façade. The French Revolution marked a turning point: the palace was sold in 1799 to a private individual, before being bought by the state in 1822 to become the archdiocese three years later.

The monument underwent several notable changes, such as the reconstruction of the roof after a fire in 1883, led by Édouard Bérard, which added carved windows. In 1905, with the law of separation of churches and state, the whole became the rectorate of Besançon. The chapel Saint-Nicolas was classified as a historic monument in 1908, followed in 1979 by facades, roofs, and interior elements (vestibulum, red living room, billiard room). The architecture combines baroque decorations, such as the coat of arms of Louis-François de Rohan-Chabot (1828), and medieval structures, including a vaulted basement in a cradle.

The honorary staircase, open on the outside and decorated with busts of archbishops, illustrates the prestige of the place. Inside, rooms such as the red living room or dining room retain their original décor, while orangery, built in 1825 by Maximin Painchaux, replaces an old summer salon. The neighbouring building, acquired in 1842 by Cardinal Césaire Mathieu, completes the whole with a library and offices. Today, the former archdiocese remains a major testimony of the Bisontin heritage, combining religious history, civil architecture and educational function.

The protections for historical monuments also cover the wrought iron ramp of the staircase and vestiges of the cloister. The entrance gate, decorated with lion heads, and the carved coat of arms recall the central role of the archbishops in Besançon's political and cultural life. The panels of the salons, made by the Galezot family, and the Italian paintings bequeathed by Rohan-Chabot highlight the refinement of this building, reflecting the spiritual and temporal powers throughout the centuries.

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