The Duché is the old palace of the Dukes of Uzès, and it is the building that dominates the town both physically and historically. The family has occupied this site since the 11th century, though what you see today is a layered accumulation of building work spanning from the medieval keep through the Renaissance — the most striking Renaissance facade was added in the 16th century by Philibert de l'Orme, the same architect responsible for the Tuileries. The result is not a single coherent style but a genuine palimpsest: towers of different centuries stacked against each other, each speaking a different architectural language.
The Tour Fenestrelle, the round Romanesque bell tower that rises next to the palace, is technically part of the former cathedral complex rather than the Duché itself, but the two are visually inseparable. The tower is the only round Romanesque bell tower in France — the form is far more common in Italy, particularly in Ravenna and Lombardy, and its presence here is a reminder of how closely southern France was linked to the Italian world in the 12th century. You can visit the interior of the Duché on guided tours, which take in the towers, the Renaissance courtyard, and a small collection of family furnishings and portraits.