Abstract
The introduction paper discusses the phenomenon of the Bishops´residence viewed from social and Church history, ecclesiastical law and theology. He characterises briefly the origin and the mission of the ministry of bishop in the Church and the definitive enforcement of the obligation of residence at the Council of Trent.The paper studies the social role of a bishop in the early modern period society and the social interaction among the bishop, his rezidence and the residence city.
The function of the residences was significant and representative and each bishop impressed their own personal preferences and legacy in their erection and equipment. Among the key places that form the profile of a residence as visible place of the Bishop´s presence in his Diocese, there are e.g., the bishop´s chapel, a gallery of bishops´portraits and bishop´s library.