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The Archbishop lived on the south side of his cathedral from the beginning of the Middle Ages until the 19th century.
Today home to the Sens Museums, the Archbishop’s Palace is a fine collection of buildings classified as a Historic Monument.
Four buildings surround the courtyard, with the private apartments on one side and the administrative buildings on the other:
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- To the East, the Henry II wing, built by Cardinal Louis de Bourbon in the mid-16th century, is a ceremonial arcade giving access to the Archbishop's private chapel, today the Cathedral's Treasure House.
- Turning back to the South side, the Archbishop's apartments were located in the Francis I wing, adorned with the coat of arms of Etienne Poncher (1519-1525).
- Still to the South, the wing rebuilt in 1759 housed the stables and coachmen's accommodation.
The Synodal Palace built by Gauthier Cornut in around 1230-1240 was the seat of the ecclesiastical court on the ground floor,
with a large meeting room for the synods above. The dungeon walls are covered with graffiti, the oldest dating back to the 13th century.
- To the East of the Henry II wing was the Archbishop's private garden enclosed by his library and the Orangery, where the orange trees were taken for shelter during the winter (today this is the museums' temporary exhibition area).
The garden has been partly restored and is a pleasant spot for visitors to relax in.
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Did you know that the Archbishop's Palace was made up of buildings built in different periods?
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