What is the name for the official residence of a bishop?

Answer 1

There really isn't a standard universal name for a bishops residence, in the same meaning of the word 'residence' as is commonly used in meaning 'where does he sleep?'. Some places it can be an historical palace, in others it can be an apartment. In developing countries, it may well be less than that.

Liturgically, it has the meaning of where his chair is. His chair or throne is called a cathedra, the building which holds a cathedra is called a cathedral.

Another meaning of that question, though, can be answered geographically. In the sense that you might ask me where my residence is, I could either give you the name of the building or the name of my city. In that sense of the meaning, the official residence of a bishop is a diocese. Under the rules set down by the Council of Trent, a bishop must actually live within the borders of his diocese (except for titular bishops, meaning a bishop who was not named to oversee an actual geographic place). There is no rule, though, in which particular building a bishop needs to sleep in.