The bishops' palaces were differently planned. They usually adjoined the cathedrals, with which they communicated either on the north or the south, according to the facilities afforded by the site. The characteristic symbol of episcopal power which, in the earlier centuries of the Middle Ages, claimed jurisdiction both in spiritual and temporal matters, was the great hall, in later days the synod house and the council chamber of the executive. The bishop's palace in Paris, rebuilt by Maurice de Sully in 1160, preserved this mediæval feature, which is even more conspicuous at Sens, in the magnificent annexe known as the salle synodale (synod house).
233. ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE AT ALBI. PLAN
The canons' lodgings were also in close proximity to the cathedral, but on the side opposite to the bishop's palace. They were surrounded by an enclosure, the gates of which were fastened at night. It was the duty of the canons to aid the bishop in his ministrations. They lived together in annexes which communicated with the cathedral by means of galleries and cloisters.[74]
[74] See Part II., "Monastic Architecture," the cloisters of Puy-en-Velay and Elne in Roussillon.
The bishops' palaces were often remarkable for their elaborate construction. Fragments of the primitive buildings are still preserved in the palaces of Beauvais, Angers, Bayeux, and Auxerre.
234. ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE AT ALBI. GENERAL VIEW
The ancient episcopal palace of Laon[75] marks a development in thirteenth-century architecture. It is a good example of that system of construction by which the palace was connected with the city ramparts and formed a secondary line of defence.
[75] The episcopate was transferred to Soissons in 1809.