Palais Rohan

The Palais Rohan stands at 2 Place du Château beside the cathedral on Strasbourg's Grande Île, in the Grand Est region of France. It was built between 1732 and 1742 as the residence of the Rohan prince-bishops of Strasbourg, to designs by Robert de Cotte, the architect of Louis XIV, with Joseph Massol overseeing the work. The Baroque palace has a monumental courtyard front and a river façade facing the Ill, and recalls the Parisian hôtel particulier in its layout. Four members of the Rohan family held the bishopric, and the palace welcomed royal guests: Louis XV stayed here in 1744, Marie-Antoinette in 1770 on her way to marry the future Louis XVI, and Napoleon in 1806. After the Revolution it became a town hall and imperial residence and, from the late 19th century, a museum building. Today the palace houses three museums: the Musée des Arts décoratifs on the ground floor, the Musée des Beaux-Arts on the first floor, and the Musée archéologique in the basement. The Appartements du Roi and the Appartements de l'Évêque preserve sumptuous interiors, including the Salle du Synode and a library. The ceilings, panelling, fireplaces and furniture are of the 18th century, along with clocks, porcelain and silver made in Strasbourg's own workshops. The building suffered from damage during World War II and has been restored in stages, including the reopening of its apartments, and is now a protected historic monument. Its position among the Place du Château, the cathedral and the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame makes it a natural stop in the old town. The palace is a good place to understand the court culture of the 18th century in a city that had become French only half a century earlier, since the Rohan bishops combined religious office with political influence in the French kingdom. The large courtyard and the river front also show how the architects adapted Parisian models to a site beside a medieval cathedral.