Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Episcopal Palace of Auxerre, located in the department of Yonne in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, finds its origins in the eighth century with the first mention of a bishop's house near the cathedral. This place, initially modest, was destroyed and rebuilt several times due to fire, notably in 887 under the episcopate of Herefid, then in 1023. Successive reconstructions, such as the one initiated by Hugues de Montaigu in the 12th century, gave rise to emblematic elements such as the Romanesque gallery, a walker adorned with 18 arches in the middle, still visible today.

In the 15th century, the term episcopal palace was officially adopted under the impulse of Pierre de Longeuil, marking a period of major architectural transformations. Guy de Mello, bishop in the 13th century, added a Gothic synodal hall and a Palatine chapel dedicated to Saint-Nicolas, partially destroyed later. The following centuries saw Renaissance additions, such as the pavilion of the Office built by François II of Dinteville in 1551, as well as landscape developments under Dominique Séguier in the 17th century.

The palace lost its religious function after the Revolution: abandoned by the last bishops in the eighteenth century, it became the seat of the prefecture of Yonne in 1791. Ranked a historic monument in 1846, the building underwent restorations in the 19th century, including the demolition of Jean Baillet's gallery in 1830 and the renovation of the episcopal apartments. Today, it preserves traces of its 1,300 years of history, mixing medieval remains, Renaissance decorations and modern administrative adaptations.

The Romanesque gallery, a jewel of the 12th century, illustrates the strategic importance of the palace: its arcades offered a view of the episcopal vineyards and river tolls, symbols of the economic power of the bishopric. The ramparts built by Guy de Mello, now missing, also recall his defensive role in a city often threatened. The successive transformations reflect political and religious developments, from medieval episcopal authority to contemporary departmental administration.

Among the notable episodes, the fire of 1210 caused the collapse of the vault of the large hall, rebuilt under Guillaume de Seignelay with glass windows very clean. André Colbert, the last resident bishop in the 17th century, embellished the palace with tapestries and oranges, contrasting with the gradual abandonment of the site by his successors. The Revolution sealed its secular destiny, while preserving its architectural heritage, now accessible as a place of civil power.

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