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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The ancient bishopric of Agde, also known as the Episcopal Palace, has architectural traces dating back to the 12th century, especially in its bases where signs of speckrels similar to those of the dungeon of the neighbouring cathedral have been identified. In the 14th century, a tower of the urban enclosure, known as the prison tower, was integrated into the building, demonstrating its defensive and institutional role in the episcopal city. These medieval elements contrast with the total reconstruction of the bishopric in the early eighteenth century, marking a stylistic and functional rupture.

The façade on the quay was recomposed in 1734 in a classic style, while a terrace, added at the end of the eighteenth century, completed the elevation. The French Revolution led to the sale of the palace as a national good, sealing the end of its religious vocation. In the 19th century, the building was split in two by a central opening to facilitate access to the bridge leading to the city, irreversibly altering its original structure. The south side, on the cathedral side, underwent a radical transformation in the 1950s with the construction of a neo-Gothic hotel, erasing much of the remains.

The northern part, which remained in its state from the 18th century until its destruction in 1982, today retains only the basements of the ground floor along the docks. Among the rare preserved elements are four original beams, including two decorated with painted decorations (rins, putti, Roman landscapes), discovered under the floor of a current hotel. These remains, classified as Historic Monument in 1984 and 1992, recall the past of the bishopric, although the building lost its architectural unit. Its elongated rectangular plane, once rhythmized by curved windows and carved keys, is only partially legible.

The ancient bishopric illustrates the urban and political changes of Agde, from its role as medieval episcopal power to its contemporary adaptations. The legal protections now target the remains of the lower parts and the painted beams, the only material testimonies of a heritage both religious, defensive and residential, marked by centuries of transformation.

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