ClasséPublic building · protected 1927Amphithéâtre romainPart of the building is protectedPhoto: myself · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archevêché (ancien) · Photo: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0194historic monuments
History of Besançon · Monuments historiques
A secteur sauvegardé since 1964, and 194 historic monuments
The Culture ministry lists 194 historic monuments in Besançon: 40 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 150 inscrit (the second level). 4 have no protection level on the list. That’s 16 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 93% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. The oldest date from Antiquity. We have photos of 185 of them.
Monuments historiques
194
16 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
40
the highest protection
Inscrit
150
the second level
Oldest part
Antiquity
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
9.6%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Besançon in 185 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Tour de la PeloteClassé
MaisonClassé
Hôtel de villeClassé
Ancien hôtel de Courbouzon-Villefrançon, actuellement Faculté des LettresClassé
Abbaye Saint-Paul (ancienne)Classé+180See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
Protected area
Besançon has had a protected historic area since 1964
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR27-16 | Secteur sauvegardé December 31, 1964 | PSMV (safeguarding plan) May 24, 2011 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France. A PSMV (plan de sauvegarde et de mise en valeur) is the strictest plan: it covers every building, inside as well as out.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Map
Where Besançon’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscritLevel not givenWithin 400 m of Hôtel de Ligniville
19 of 40classé monuments stand within 400 m of Hôtel de Ligniville, with 87 of the town’s 194 monuments.
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
194 monuments by protection
40 Classé150 Inscrit4 Level not given
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
40 classé monuments in Besançon
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 27 of the 40 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséArchaeological site · protected 1886Jardin publicPart of the building is protectedPhoto: moi-même/myself · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 2004Maison d'époque romainePart of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséCathedral · protected 1875Cathédrale Saint-Jean et Saint-ÉtiennePhoto: moi-même / myself · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHome · protected 1908Archevêché (ancien)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Chabe01 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHospital · protected 1932Ancien Hôpital du Saint-EspritPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Toufik-de-planoise · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséMilitary building · protected 1942Citadelle et enceinte urbainePhoto: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown hall · protected 1912Hôtel de villePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1938Hôtel MareschalPart of the building is protectedPhoto: myself · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséBuilding · protected 1922Immeuble et Fontaine des Carmes attenantePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Malebre · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséMonument · protected 1911Palais de JusticePart of the building is protectedPhoto: GO69 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHome · protected 1862Palais Granvelle, actuellement muséePart of the building is protectedPhoto: GO69 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséSchool · protected 1942Ancien collège des Jésuites, collège Victor-Hugo-CentrePhoto: Toufik-de-planoise · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséFarm building · protected 1942Colombier militaire ou Bastion BregillePart of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHospital · protected 1938Hôpital Saint-JacquesPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 2009Hôtel Alvizet ou AlvisetPhoto: Booris & Milean Creor · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown walls · protected 1942Remparts de Vauban (anciens)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown walls · protected 1942Tour de la PelotePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1984Ancien hôtel de Courbouzon, actuellement Faculté des LettresPart of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1937Ancien hôtel de Courbouzon-Villefrançon, actuellement Faculté des LettresPart of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséPublic building · protected 1923Ancienne Intendance de Franche-Comté, actuellement Hôtel de la Préfecture du DoubsPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
Classé
ClasséShow the other 16
ClasséFountain · protected 1921Fontaine publique (Fontaine du Doubs)Photo: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1996Hôtel de GrosboisPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1984Hôtel de LignivillePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Remi Mathis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 1996Hôtel Henrion de Magnoncourt ou de Longeville, actuellement siège de la Direction régionale des affaires culturelles de Franche-ComtéPart of the building is protectedPhoto: JGS25 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 2007Hôtel MichoteyPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Remi Mathis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTown house · protected 2010Hôtel Terrier de SantansPhoto: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséTheater · protected 1928Théatre municipalPart of the building is protectedPhoto: GO69 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséAbbey · protected 1942Abbaye Saint-Paul (ancienne)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Arnaud 25 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséMilitary building · protected 1995Lunette de Trois-ChâtelsPhoto: Toufik-de-planoise · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséFunerary monument · protected 1840Porte NoirePhoto: Lantus , edited by MenkinAlRire · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Classé
ClasséPublic building · protected 2005Observatoire, 32, 34, 36, 41, 41bis, 43 avenue de l'ObservatoirePart of the building is protectedPhoto: Euldulle · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséSynagogue · protected 1984Synagogue, 2 rue MayencePhoto: GFreihalter · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1933Maison, 20 quai VaubanPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Olvr81 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1933Maison, 22 quai VaubanPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Olvr81 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséHouse · protected 1934Maison, 29 quai VaubanPart of the building is protectedPhoto: Ludovic Péron · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Inscrit
154 inscrit monuments in Besançon
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared. 4 of them have no protection level on the list.
All 153, A to Z
Abbaye des Bénédictins de Saint-Vincent (ancienne)Abbaye Saint-PaulAncien Hôtel Boistouset ou Hôtel DagayAncien hôtel Gauthiot d'AncierAncien Hôtel Pétremand de Valay, actuelle Banque de FranceArènes romaines et chapelle Saint-Jacques dans la caserne CondéBasilique Saint-Ferréol et Saint-FerjeuxBoutique (pharmacie)Caborde sur la colline de Planoise, aux EqueugniersCaborde, chemin de l'OeilletCafé du CommerceCaserne RutyChapelle capitulaire Saint-Paul (restes de l'ancienne)Chapelle des Carmes-Déchaussés (ancienne)Château d'eau de la Source d'ArcierCouvent des Cordeliers (ancien)Demeure, 36 rue Ernest-RenanÉglise (ancienne)Église des Carmes (ancienne)Église Saint-MauriceFontaine des ClarissesFontaine monumentaleFontaine monumentaleFort ChaudanneFuniculaire, 2B rue du FuniculaireGrenier de la villeHôtel BonvalotHôtel Buson d'AuxonHôtel ChevanneyHôtel d'Anvers ou d'EmskerqueHôtel de BuyerHôtel de CamusHôtel de ChampagneyHôtel de Clermont (ancien)Hôtel de ClévansHôtel de MaîcheHôtel de MesmayHôtel de Montmartin (ancien) , annexe de l'hôpital Saint-JacquesHôtel de MontureuxHôtel de RosièresHôtel de SoransHôtel du Bouteiller, puis de MontureuxHôtel Fleury de Villayer ou Droz des VillarsHôtel GavinetHôtel IsabeyHôtel LavernetteHôtel Petit de MarivatHôtel QuerretHôtel Saint-Paul ou d'AcheyHôtel Saint-PierreHôtel Terrier ou de VerseillesImmeuble, 110 Grande-RueImmeuble, 117 Grande RueImmeuble, 20 rue Ernest-RenanImmeuble, 24 rue ChiffletImmeuble, 44 rue d'ArènesImmeuble, 6 rue de la MadeleineImmeuble, 67 Grande-RueImmeuble, 69 rue des GrangesImmeuble, 9 rue des BoucheriesImmeuble, 9, 9bis rue Charles-NodierImmeuble, Grande-Rue 80Magasin du Port de RivotteMaison BrigonnetMaison dite "La Grange Huguenet"Maison dite "Villa Lorraine"Maison dite Maison espagnole (Institut de Notre-Dame du Refuge)Maison natale de Victor HugoMaison ou Hôtel JouffroyMaison, 1 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 1 quai VaubanMaison, 10 quai VaubanMaison, 10 rue BattantMaison, 10 rue RivotteMaison, 11 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 11 quai VaubanMaison, 11 rue Claude-PouilletMaison, 12 quai VaubanMaison, 12 rue BattantMaison, 12 rue de la Vieille-MonnaieMaison, 13 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 13 quai VaubanMaison, 13 rue de la PréfectureMaison, 14 quai VaubanMaison, 14 rue Luc-BretonMaison, 15 quai VaubanMaison, 16 quai VaubanMaison, 17 quai VaubanMaison, 18 quai VaubanMaison, 18 rue BattantMaison, 19 rue de la MadeleineMaison, 19 rue du ChapitreMaison, 2 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 21 quai VaubanMaison, 22 rue d'ArènesMaison, 23 quai VaubanMaison, 24 quai VaubanMaison, 24 rue Claude-PouilletMaison, 25 quai VaubanMaison, 26 quai VaubanMaison, 26 rue RivotteMaison, 28 quai VaubanMaison, 28 rue de la CassotteMaison, 28 rue RivotteMaison, 3 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 3 quai VaubanMaison, 30 quai VaubanMaison, 30 rue RivotteMaison, 31 place de la PréfectureMaison, 32 quai VaubanMaison, 32 rue de la MadeleineMaison, 34 quai VaubanMaison, 36 quai VaubanMaison, 38 quai VaubanMaison, 4 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 4 rue de la ConventionMaison, 4 rue de la Vieille-MonnaieMaison, 40 quai VaubanMaison, 45 rue BattantMaison, 45 rue d'ArènesMaison, 47 rue BattantMaison, 5 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 5 quai VaubanMaison, 51 rue BattantMaison, 6 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 6 quai VaubanMaison, 6 rue de la Vieille-MonnaieMaison, 6bis place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 7 quai VaubanMaison, 8 quai VaubanMaison, 8 rue de la Vieille-MonnaieMaison, 8 rue des MartelotsMaison, 86 rue des GrangesMaison, 9 place du Huit-SeptembreMaison, 9 quai VaubanMaison, 97 rue BattantMaison, Grande-Rue 129Maison, Grande-Rue 13Maison, Grande-Rue 131Maison, Grande-Rue 131bis, 131terMaison, Grande-Rue 133Maison, Grande-Rue 135Maison, Grande-Rue 142Maison, place de la PréfectureMaisons, 13, 15 rue ThiémantéMaisons, 2, 4 quai VaubanMonument à Louis Pergaudmonuments aux morts du cimetière Saint-ClaudePetit Hôtel ChassignetSéminaire (ancien)Usine DodaneVestiges archéologiques (ensemble)Villa Zeltner
91 more, named only by their kind
91 more are named in the list only by their kind: 77 houses (maisons), 10 buildings (immeubles) and 4 others, most from the 18th century. The 90 with an address are in the list above, by it.
14th c.1
15th c.2
16th c.18
17th c.13
18th c.22
19th c.2
20th c.1
undated32
What’s protected
Most of Besançon’s monuments are houses and homes
Each monument under the main domain Mérimée gives it.
Houses & homes149
Religious buildings15
Public & civic9
Military & fortified6
Tombs & cemeteries3
Bridges & engineering2
Shops & trade2
Industrial1
Archaeological sites1
Farm buildings1
Houses & homes: 149 of 194 monuments (77%). 15 are religious buildings, 6 of them classé.
Mérimée files each monument under one main domain: a château with its chapel counts once. 5 have no domain on the list.
How old
How old Besançon’s monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.4
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.9
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution121
19th century 1801–19008
20th century and later since 19015
13 of 147 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Amphithéâtre romain (Antiquity). 47 monuments have no date on the list.
When protected
40 of Besançon’s monuments were protected in 1937
Monuments by the year they were first protected.
1937 · 40
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020
First protected, in 1840: Porte Noire. That was France’s first list of monuments historiques, drawn up in Prosper Mérimée’s time as inspector. 40 were protected in 1937 alone. 9 have been added since 2011.
Born before 1900
175 people born in Besançon before 1900
The 20 best known on the line, and eight of them below.
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle
Jean Mairet
Donat Nonnotte
Claude-Adrien Nonnotte
Alexandre Marie Léonor de Saint-Mauris de Montbarrey
Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard
Charles d'Amondans de Tinseau
Guillaume-Xavier Labbey de Pompières
Claude Jacques Lecourbe
Charles Fourier
Charles-Étienne-François Ruty
Jean de Courvoisier
Francis d’Allarde
Pierre Charles Weiss
Charles Nodier
Monrose
Victor Hugo
Jenny d’Héricourt
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
Adolphe Braun
1500165018001950
AP
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle1517–1586 · Burgundian advisor to Margaret of Parma, later cardinal, and minister…
JM
Jean Mairet1604–1686 · French dramatist
DN
Donat Nonnotte1708–1785 · French painter
CA
Claude-Adrien Nonnotte1711–1793 · French writer
AM
Alexandre Marie Léonor de Saint-Mauris de Montbarrey1732–1796 · French politician
JB
Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard1732–1817 · French writer
Cd
Charles d'Amondans de Tinseau1748–1822 · French mathematician and military personnel
GX
Guillaume-Xavier Labbey de Pompières1751–1831 · French politician
Everyone born in Besançon Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Besançon has the 3rd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 88,300 to 159,000 residents, by historic monuments.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Besançon
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Besançon | 118,489 | 194 | 40 | Yes |
| École-Valentin | 2,579 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Miserey-Salines | 2,661 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Thise | 2,994 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Les Auxons | 2,533 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Saône | 3,195 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Saint-Vit | 5,133 | 2 | 0 | — |
In brief
Besançon in brief
Amphithéâtre romain, from Antiquity, is the oldest monument in Besançon. All told, the list holds 194 historic monuments, 40 of them classé, including Archevêché (ancien). Its old center has been a secteur sauvegardé since 1964. For its size, it has more historic monuments than 93% of compared French towns.
Citadelle et enceinte urbaine is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its classé monuments cluster together: 19 of them stand within 400 m of Hôtel de Ligniville. Maison natale de Victor Hugo is one of the Maisons des Illustres, the homes of people who left their mark on France. Beyond that, 9.6% of its homes were built before 1919, close to the 7.4% in the median compared French town.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Besançon
How many historic monuments are there in Besançon?
The Culture ministry lists 194 historic monuments in Besançon: 40 classé and 150 inscrit.
Which monuments in Besançon are classé?
40, among them Amphithéâtre romain, Jardin public, Maison d'époque romaine, Cathédrale Saint-Jean et Saint-Étienne, Archevêché (ancien) and Ancien Hôpital du Saint-Esprit.
How old are the monuments of Besançon?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from Antiquity.
Is Besançon a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Besançon has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 1964.
When were monuments in Besançon first protected?
The first in 1840, the latest in 2024.
How old are the homes in Besançon?
9.6% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.