Palais Saint-Pierre, Benedictine abbey in Place des Terreaux, Lyon, France

Palais Saint-Pierre is a former Benedictine abbey on Place des Terreaux featuring a classical stone facade designed by architect François Royers de la Valfenière in the 17th century. The elongated building complex contains multiple wings and a large interior courtyard that gives the ensemble scale and organization.

The abbey's foundation date is unknown; a forged testament claimed a 208 origin. Bishop Leidrad rebuilt it under Charlemagne, and a letter to the emperor dated 809–813 records 32 nuns. In 1659 abbess Anne de Chaulnes had the palace rebuilt by architect François Royers de la Valfrenière, and the foundation stone was laid by a poor boy.

The building takes its name from Saint Peter and became a museum of fine arts after the French Revolution. It now houses art collections spanning different periods, reflecting the spiritual heritage of the site.

The site sits directly on Place des Terreaux, a central public square that is easy to reach and surrounded by other attractions. The building has extensive interior spaces, so allow sufficient time for a thorough visit.

The foundation stone of the 17th-century palace was laid on 16 March 1659 by a "poor boy", not by a dignitary. The abbess Anne de Chaulnes, daughter of Marshal Honoré d'Albert, commissioned the work from Avignon architect François Royers de la Valfrenière, who died in 1667. Of the medieval convent, only the Romanesque porch of the conventual church survives.