Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Episcopal Palace of Agen, now prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne, was built at the end of the 18th century to replace the former palace, partially collapsed in 1773. Bishop Jean-Louis d'Usson de Bonnac, appointed in 1768, launched this ambitious project near the Grand Séminaire, entrusting the plans to architect Leroy, then engaged in the reconstruction of the castle of Aiguillon. The first stone was laid in 1775, but the bishop could not occupy it until 1783, after eight years of work.

At the time of the Revolution, the building changed its vocation: it housed successively the central schools, a cohort of the Legion of Honour, and in 1809 became the hotel of the prefecture. The balustrade adorning the roof was removed during this transformation. A devastating fire in 1904 reduced the building to ashes, leaving only calcined walls. Reconstructed in 1910 under the direction of Leopold Payen, he adopted a Mansart roof and was listed as a historical monument in 1947.

Historical sources highlight its architectural and administrative importance, with references in local works such as those of Alphonse Paillard de Saint-Aiglan or Philippe Lauzun. These texts trace its evolution, from its initial religious function to its present prefectural role, thus marking the urban and institutional history of Agen.

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