Niccolò Gaddi becomes bishop of Sarlat The first bishop to be appointed by the King of France, he brought to the town the cultural and artistic influence of the Italian Renaissance.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
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Listed historic monument
Palais épiscopal
XIVᵉ–XXᵉ siècles · Sarlat-la-Canéda
Palais épiscopal
The former palace of the bishops of Sarlat
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Former bishop's palace of Sarlat, today a tourist office and exhibition rooms
Listed historic monument·XIVᵉ–XXᵉ siècles·Mérimée PA00082932
A former episcopal palace whose north façade was built, for the most part, between the late 15th and early 16th century, beside Saint-Sacerdos Cathedral. Having become the town hall after the Revolution, it now houses the tourist office and exhibition rooms.
1317Creation of the bishopric
XVᵉ–XVIIᵉEnlargement of the palace
1900Covered market and theatre
1904Listed Monument Historique
History
The story, stage by stage
Scroll down to follow the monument's evolution. A one-minute read.
1317
1317The creation of the bishopric
A bishopric is created in Sarlat; it will need a palace.
1318
1318The first bishop
Raymond de Roquecorn takes up his post
Fin XVᵉ- fin XVIIᵉ
Fin XVᵉ- fin XVIIᵉEnlargement
The episcopal palace is enlarged
1900
1900A civic transformation
The town hall moves out; a covered market and a theatre are installed.
Key figures
The great figures involved
Figure 1 of 2
The places
Explore the building
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Did you know?
3 things to remember
A loggia more recent than it appears The loggia crowning the north façade dates not from the Renaissance but from 1904. The architect Rapine decided to remove the lauze stone-slab roof and to add a third storey made up of a gallery and a bartizan.
Town hall, courthouse, tourist office At the Revolution, the palace took in the town hall, the courts and the police; today it houses the tourist office.
The site's future
What future for the former bishop's palace?
The former palace of the bishops now houses the tourist office, but its state rooms remain underused. Their future is still to be imagined.
219 habitants ont déjà donné leur avis · la commune s'en saisira.
Museum of the history of Sarlat
Telling a thousand years of the town, from bishops to cinema, in the palace's rooms.
144 votes
Grand visitor hall
An enlarged reception area and a single ticket office for all the town's monuments.
99 votes
Rooms for local life
Lectures, community exhibitions and meetings in the state rooms.
61 votes
Prestige guests
A few upmarket guest rooms on the upper floor, facing the cathedral.
33 votes
Another idea for this place?Propose your vision: it will be put to the vote and passed on to the town.
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Questions
The questions we get asked
Why does Sarlat have a bishops' palace?
Because a bishopric was created there in 1317. The first bishop, Raymond de Roquecorn, took office in 1318 and at first lodged in the former abbot's house, for want of a palace.
What is in the palace today?
The tourist office occupies the ground floor. The building has also been a town hall, a courthouse, a covered market and a theatre over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Is the loggia really Renaissance?
It has the vocabulary, but probably not the date. Tradition credited the Florentine bishop Niccolò Gaddi, but the works of 1904-1910, which replaced the lauze roof with a third storey, are the more likely origin.
Who was Niccolò Gaddi?
A Florentine prelate and cardinal, bishop of Sarlat from 1533 to 1546. The first bishop of Sarlat appointed by the King of France, his presence speaks of the Périgord's ties with the Italian Renaissance.
4,0· 2 avis de visiteurs
Q
Quentin
Septembre 2026
F
Felix
Août 2026 · Visite virtuelle
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Map & access
Getting there
Rue Tourny, 24200 Sarlat-la-Canéda · Dordogne
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Support Palais Épiscopal project
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Rate this building4,0 · 2 reviews