Le Doyenné

This building was the residence of the dean, one of the 3 dignitaries of the chapter of canons of Brioude. The Doyenné, a veritable fortress, remained for a long time in the hands of the Mercoeur family. In 1282, an agreement was signed between the Mercoeur and the chapter; thus the new dean, Gaucelin de La Garde, from a family of knights of Gévaudan, began the work of restoring the building which was badly degraded. Thanks to dendrochronology (from wood, a precise dating method) it turns out that the emblazoned ceiling could not have been started before 1297/1298: extremely rare heraldic decoration, carved and painted wood where hunting scenes and fantastic bestiary mingle .
With the Revolution of 1789 and the disappearance of the chapter of canons, the building was sold as national property and it experienced various fortunes during the 1875th century: this is how the municipal council proposed to sell it in XNUMX. , fortunately, rejected.
During the XNUMXth century, the building was occupied by the Caisse d'Epargne, then by the media library and the Tourist Office. However, the upstairs rooms were closed for security reasons.
Since 2016, quality restoration has made it possible to assign this building to a cultural function, there are now 5 modern and contemporary art exhibition rooms that welcome visitors.