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Origin and history

The Episcopal Palace of Soissons, first mentioned in 1125, was originally located in the southwest corner of the castrum, south of the cathedral. Its location, attested until the Revolution, was the result of a division of land between the chapter and the bishop, probably formalized in the 11th century after the abandonment of an older episcopal residence, located near the present Rue de la Buerie. This first site, evoked in a parchment of 1118 and confirmed by local historians such as Nicolas Berlette (XVI century), was close to the Bishop's Gate and a stream called Crisis, used for bleaching.

The oldest medieval building still partially visible is a turret of the late twelfth century, supported in the thirteenth century, located east of the present Mantua square. This tower, built outside the walls of the Lower Empire, bears witness to the expansion of the city's fortifications. Bishop Nivelon of Quierzy (1176–1207) then gave up a portion of land to the cathedral to build the south arm of the transept and an adjoining chapel, perhaps destined for episcopal use. The lower chapel, mentioned in 1296 in the will of Gui de la Charité, and the upper chapel, founded in 1321 by Gérard de Courtonne in honor of Saint Louis, will disappear in 1791.

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, the palace underwent major changes. Racked during the civil wars of the 15th century, it was gradually restored, notably by Bishop Jean Milet (1442–1503). In the 17th century, Simon Legras (1624–1656) launched an ambitious reconstruction project, only part of which was completed (brick and stone building dated 1638). Monsignor Languet de Gergy (1715–30) reverses the organization of the spaces in 1722 to welcome Louis XV, creating a new western entrance and a body of new houses. The arrangements continued under Bishop Bourdeilles (1764–1801) for the passage of Marie-Antoinette in 1770.

The Revolution marked a turning point: the palace was confiscated in 1791, its chapels destroyed, and the property divided into 13 lots in 1793. Part of the buildings became public square (Mantua Square), while the remaining remains, damaged by the wars of the 19th and 20th centuries, successively house a library, a garden stop, and then a parking lot. The bishopric was definitively transferred in 1906, sealing the end of his original function.

Archaeological and textual sources (watercolour of 1791, testimonies of Canon Cabaret and Dormay) reveal a heteroclite architecture, mixing medieval elements (tour, low halls) and classics (galeries, pavilions). The bombings of 1914–18 destroyed a wing, leaving only part of the commons and gardens, now integrated into the urban landscape.

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