Ancien évêché, Episcopal palace in Rodez, France

The Ancien Évêché stands across from Notre-Dame Cathedral and is a grand building with a large staircase and two pavilions on its main facade. The structure displays classical French architecture with symmetrically arranged elements and elegant proportions.

The previous episcopal palace stood between the cathedral transept and the town wall; it was demolished from 1474 by Bishop Bertrand de Chalençon to allow the nave to be built. In 1589 the population revolted against Bishop François de Corneilhan and destroyed the palace. The present building was begun in 1684 by Bishop Paul-Louis-Philippe Lezay de Lusignan and finished in 1694 in the Louis XIII style.

The building owes its name to the bishops of Rodez, who lived here from 1694. In 1791 it was sold as national property and housed the departmental administration and then the prefecture; the Chouan Charrier was imprisoned in the Tour de Corbières. Returned to the bishop on 12 September 1822, it was altered between 1871 and 1875 by Cardinal Joseph Bourret, who raised the central block and added two pavilions.

The palace sits in a central location in Rodez on rue Frayssinous and is easily reached from the cathedral. The setting offers good views of the surrounding old town and its squares.

The complex includes the Corbières Tower and an arcade terrace that extends along boulevard d'Estourmel. From this terrace, visitors can survey the surrounding landscape and city views.