Palais Granvelle, Besançon: history and visit

The Granvelle Palace, in Besançon

The Granvelle Palace is a sumptuous Renaissance palace of Besançon, which today shelters the Museum of Time. The Besançon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this prestigious residence, a witness of the grandeur of the town in the sixteenth century.

The Renaissance palace of the Museum of Time

The Granvelle Palace is one of the finest buildings of Besançon. This sumptuous Renaissance palace was built in the sixteenth century for Nicolas de Granvelle, powerful chancellor of the emperor Charles V, and his family, who durably marked the history of the town. Organised around an elegant inner courtyard with galleries and arcades, the building testifies to the splendour and the influence of Besançon at this time when it was an imperial town. The palace today shelters the Museum of Time, dedicated to the history of the measurement of time and watchmaking, a tradition dear to the town and the region. The Granvelle Palace is a jewel of the Besançon heritage.

What to see

You admire the sumptuous Renaissance palace built for the Granvelle family, chancellors of Charles V, with its elegant inner courtyard with galleries and arcades, which shelters the Museum of Time dedicated to watchmaking, a tradition dear to the town. The Granvelle Palace is a jewel of the Besançon heritage. It is a major stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Granvelle Palace lies in the heart of the old town of Besançon, near Granvelle Square, reachable on foot. You admire its courtyard and its façade; the Museum of Time it shelters follows its own hours and conditions, which vary with the season. It is best to check the arrangements before coming.

What does the Granvelle Palace of Besançon shelter?

The Museum of Time, dedicated to the history of the measurement of time and watchmaking; this Renaissance palace was built in the sixteenth century for the Granvelle family, chancellors of the emperor Charles V.